Skopje, 21 May 2026 (MIA) - SDSM leader Venko Filipche urged Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski for the country to implement the constitutional changes. He told a press conference on Thursday that an EU enlargement package is in the pipeline and it is of exceptional importance for the country to be part of the process because the constitutional changes are the only way forward, "and Macedonia cannot afford to miss this train."

The SDSM leader said the opposition coalition and the ruling majority should jointly take responsibility, both for the constitutional changes and the ensuing negotiating process.

"Let's make the constitutional changes and then sit down together during the negotiations, while negotiating chapters open and close. If we miss this moment, we'll stay outside of all processes, we'll be the appendix on the Balkans. This is an appeal to Mickoski - let's take joint responsibility for implementation of the constitutional changes and the course of the negotiations, as well as all challenges that we face along the way. All political stakeholders should sit down together because this is the only way for the country to make progress. No identity trait is under risk. There are already discussions on budgeting in the European Union over a seven-year period, and if we fail to enter this scheme, then the doors will obviously close. This is one of the most crucual periods in which enlargement is high on EU's list of priorities and concrete models are already being discussed," said Filipche.

He referred to the coming visit of European Council President Antonio Costa to the country ahead of the Western Balkans Summit in Podgorica.

"I call on the PM - let's tell EC President Costa that we will make the next step, that we will pass the constitutional changes, considering that when he last visited the country a year ago, he said there is no plan B only a plan A - the negotiating framework that is already adopted by all EU member-states. The PM should not risk the country's future and the future of coming generations. Today we witnessed another signal of the will for EU enlargement in the non-paper of the German Chancellor. There are people who don't agree with it - gradual integration and privileged access to key European mechanisms - and it is a document that will obviously not be adopted because of disagreements over its content. I urge PM Mickoski not to use this non-paper as an additional alibi and excuse not to make the next steps, which as everyone has said, cannot be changed," noted Filipche.

The SDSM leader reiterated that the constitutional changes are the only issue that he would sit down and talk to the Prime Minister about.

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