Skopje, 4 March 2025 (MIA) - When I talk about the Macedonian European saga, I want to convey the frustrations felt by all citizens and everything the citizens have to do in the name of that future while receiving almost nothing in return, since we still find ourselves where we were 20 years ago, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said in response to a question on the country’s path to EU membership at a joint press conference Tuesday in Budapest with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.

Mickoski said the country has done a lot, “things that were to the detriment of the Macedonian identity, but we must remain optimistic and fight in the future as well”.

“We must fulfil this goal of ours even though we are aware that there is a little bit of domestic guilt here too, since our domestic corrupt politicians, by thinking that Brussels would forget about their corruption and crime and destruction of the country if they only signed and accepted everything put before them, worsened the country’s negotiating position with every passing month and year. The current Government won’t compromise on such issues,” Mickoski stressed.

The PM said the Government would respect its accepted obligations, but, he said, “we are also looking for others who have accepted obligations, regardless of their stature, regardless of whether they are a part of the EU or not, to respect theirs”.

“This is the only way we can move forward, and this is the only way we can be true friends, when both sides respect each other. If one side shows respect but the other doesn’t, then this isn’t friendship,” Mickoski added. 

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