Skopje, 12 July 2023 (MIA) — The proposed constitutional changes have been submitted to the government and it will review them at one of its next sessions this month before submitting it to Parliament, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski told a press conference in Vilnius, where he is participating in the NATO Summit.

Prime Minister Kovachevski said the amendments were not being made under any "dictation" but were part of the obligations specified in the negotiating framework with the EU that Parliament had unanimously adopted in July 2022.

Commenting on opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski's recent statements that he was withdrawing from talks related to the constitutional changes, Kovachevski said that "anyone has the right to isolate themselves, but not to isolate the state."

He said the talks should continue as this was a pivotal decision for the state.

"The constitutional amendments are a vote for the EU and for remaining on the European path. For the first time, we are facing a situation in which the veto does not come from outside, but from within," the prime minister said.

"Their rhetoric, so loud over the past year, stopped on the day of our leadership meeting. We accepted all the conditions set by the opposition leader. Then, probably under some sort of pressure, internal or I don't know where from, he backpedaled."

Opposition leader Hristijan Mickovski said a few days ago he would not attend any meetings with the government regarding the constitutional changes.

The only thing he was willing to discuss, he said, was calling a snap election in the fall. mr/