Skopje, 31 May 2024 (MIA) - In response to the question about whether there is an agreement for constitutional changes, the new Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi stated that it is a sensitive issue, particularly for Macedonians.

In an interview with Top Tema on Telma TV, he noted that Macedonians were rather negative towards the so-called French proposal, and VMRO-DPMNE garnered a significant number of votes in the elections precisely due to the reservation regarding this issue.

“However, now we are in a different phase - we all want to move forward. The majority of citizens and political parties, except one, are all in favor of the country's integration into the EU, and preferably sooner, at least declaratively. We need to discuss what VMRO included in its program. There will be new developments after the elections in Bulgaria and the elections in the European Parliament. All elements should be included in the mosaic because the whole point is to have everything, so that we can solve this pressing issue,” Gashi said.

He emphasized that the need of resolving the issue swiftly, but underscored “not at the expense of undermining and neglecting the cultural and linguistic identity of Macedonians.”

“We cannot jeopardize interethnic relations over another problem; we've achieved nothing that way. We must strive for greater cohesion among all communities, particularly the two largest ones - Macedonian and Albanian. Recognizing our cultural and linguistic identity will naturally fuel the country's faster integration into the European Union,” Gashi said.

When asked why he first took the oath in Albanian and then in Macedonian language in the Parliament on Tuesday, he responded that it was a technical matter and "he would not like to get involved in daily politics with such small issues," and the use of the Albanian language in the Parliament, he said, is regulated in 2008-2009.

“That day was a celebration of democracy in North Macedonia; the Parliament was constituted. It's daily politics, and parties use it for some cheap publicity. I wouldn't want to stoop to that level and comment on such remarks. I have no issue with the Macedonian language; I've been learning and speaking it alongside Albanian since my early years. I bear no hostility towards Macedonian. The constitutive session was prepared by the services in the Parliament, who are professionals, and it was technical; it could have been in Macedonian first, but what matters is that it was read in Macedonian,” Gashi noted.

When questioned about his stance on the "Albanian municipalities' community in Macedonia," he explained that it was a position articulated by the general secretary of his party, Alternativa, and that the idea was about cooperation in segments affecting the residents of those municipalities. However, he noted that the issue had since become politicized and infused with nationalist connotations.

Photo: Top Tema on Telma TV/screenshot