Skopje, 26 February 2026 (MIA) - The policies of the former authorities led us to the position we are in now, they brought the elephant in the room and we cannot ignore it, says Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on the constitutional changes and the EU membership without the right to vote.

"I was very cautious in my statements, saying that such an idea is circulating in Brussels, but I don't know if it will materialize. As responsible politicians, we must anticipate, process and create a strategy about everything that we hear from relevant people in relevant places. Therefore, we are proactive, not reactive. But let me repeat once again - we will not be the soft tissue like our predecessors. The Government and my political party have a clear position on this issue. The policies of the former authorities were not courageous, they were stupid. They say it is courage - no, it's stupidity. We are the ones who will have to make this right while securing guarantees that such demands will be no more. Furthermore, if we observe agreements, then everyone else should do as well," PM Mickoski told Sitel.

On the statement of SDSM leader Venko Filipche that incidents could happen if the agreement was not honored, the PM says "it is a statement by an irresponsible politician".

"First and foremost, Macedonia is a NATO member; second, the Government controls the entire territory of the country; third, our policies are principled; fourth, our foreign and defense policy is aligned with that of the EU; and fifth, the Council of Europe has ended its post-monitoring process, which means we are a mature democracy governed by law and in which human rights are respected," says Mickoski.

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