• Wednesday, 03 July 2024

Ruling, opposition MPs at odds over French proposal at day two of parliamentary debate 

Ruling, opposition MPs at odds over French proposal at day two of parliamentary debate 
Skopje, 15 July 2022 (MIA) - Parliament for the second day in a row is debating the proposed negotiating framework for North Macedonia's accession negotiations with the European Union, proposed by the French EU presidency on June 30, 2022. The same as yesterday, MPs from the ruling majority and the opposition are locking horns. VMRO-DPMNE MPs on the floor speak against the French proposal, but when SDSM MPs apply to have the floor, the opposition lawmakers start making ear piercing noises with vuvuzelas and whistles so their speeches cannot be heard. "This piece of paper is no basis for holding a session. With it, you are burying the country. You were let to get away with the Prespa Agreement, but now what is happening is a revolution," VMRO-DPMNE MP Zhaklina Peshevska said tearing the proposal like all other opposition lawmakers. SDSM's Daniela Nikolova while on the floor accused the opposition of being anti-European coalition that wants to come to power at all cost. Her speech was frequently interrupted by the noise made by vuvuzelas and whistles. The country in case it accepted the French proposal, the dispute with Bulgaria from bilateral would be turned into multilateral issue, said Blagica Lasovska of VMRO-DPMNE. Replying to her speech, Nenad Kocikj of SDSM said the deputies of VMRO-DPMNE and Levica make noise because "they lie to the people because they want to set Macedonia on fire" after being paid handsomely by foreign services. Having the floor, VMRO-DPMNE MP Antonijo Miloshoski said Macedonia should refrain from opening negotiations at any cost. "The French proposal of the negotiating framework is no proposal for opening the negotiations, it is a proposal to open the Constitution and you are well aware it won't be allowed here. By doing so, Macedonia would enter more deeply into internal tensions and would additionally worsen the relations with Bulgaria," he said calling the document "a failure of the national diplomacy." Pavle Trajanov, Democratic Alliance MP, said he is in favor of the country joining the EU. The process however, he noted, has proven quite hard and some difficult concessions have been already made in the past 10 years. "We'd supported NATO membership, now we support Macedonia joining the EU. The process has been blocked for a long time, firstly by Greece, then by France and now Bulgaria. It's evident we will be in the threshold for a long time," he said.