Skopje, 28 March 2023 (MIA) – Changes to the Constitution are a sovereign matter for North Macedonia to make. On the Constitution it will be important to see exactly what the proposals are and when they are drafted, to have a debate about the proposals. The commitment is to include people who self-identify as Bulgarian within the Constitution. This is something which will consolidate the country’s good track record on interethnic relations, said EU Ambassador to North Macedonia, David Geer, on Tuesday.

The Ambassador pointed to the example of Croatia which has more than 20 communities included within its Constitution, and, he said, it doesn’t affect the identity of the country nor its essential interests. Additionally, he underlined the importance of looking at the overall bigger picture, i.e., the current momentum in the Euro-integrations.

“What we are seeing at the moment is momentum, not just here in North Macedonia, but also in the region more widely. Last year we saw the offer of candidate status to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we saw the opening of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. So there is momentum, the way is forward. It is important to catch that momentum and move forward with the other countries in that process. It is up to the country to decide, but we hope that the country will move forward. No one else is standing in the way, there is no veto and the next step is very much in the hands of the country. So far, as I said, on the screening you are doing an excellent job,” Geer told reporters.

On whether the EU will consider the failure of the constitutional changes to pass in Parliament due to the opposition as their own failure, the EU Ambassador said they will do all they can to makes sure that the country joins the EU as soon as possible.

“We want this country in the EU, and we are doing this not because of altruism, but because we have a hard-headed, realistic calculation that it is in the mutual interest of this country and the EU, on the basis of stability, security, prosperity, trade and democratic values for you to join the EU. We want to do all we can to make sure that that happens as soon as possible,” said the Ambassador.

Regarding the fight against corruption, Ambassador Geer stressed they have been commenting on this issue for a long time, adding that there has been some progress in both the rule of law and the fight against corruption, and that there are some institutions which are doing a good job such as the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption and the State Audit Office, but he stressed that much more is needed.

“We need to see decisive action, this includes the government taking a lead, but also the other institutions which are involved – judiciary, Parliament - all playing their part to ensure that there is decisive and clear action to improve the rule of law and combat corruption. We know very well the cost to the nation in terms of health and wealth as a result of corruption,” underlined the Ambassador. ad/ik/