Skopje, 10 January 2022 (MIA) – Any idea and concept for a broad front of political parties supporting key reforms, North Macedonia’s swift EU accession and removal of all barriers on that path is something worth contemplating, says Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj on the issue of a broad pre-election coalition that would include all parties except VMRO-DPMNE and Levica.

Deputy PM Marichikj told 360° that SDSM is a big, serious and responsible party with a clear goal and plan – focus on the European path.

“This has been SDSM’s guiding light over the past six years and before. Therefore, I think these ideas that imply enlargement of the front for changes and a European Macedonia, a front open for all those who sincerely believe in the country’s European future, is worth contemplating,” says Marichikj.

Asked if such pre-election coalition could be discredited on Macedonian-Albanian ethnic lines, the Deputy PM says the Government has done a lot towards overcoming differences and strengthening cohesion over the past six years, whereas any division on ethnic lines is damaging for the country.

“It is our duty not to divide the society on ethnic lines but establish cohesion that is functional in practice, especially when it comes to meeting the top priorities, namely EU membership. Imagine if we came to a situation of ethnic divisions, something that VMRO-DPMNE and Levica worked on last summer regarding the position on Bulgaria and EU in general,” says Marichikj.

He does not say if the Alliance for Albanians (AA) would join the Government but adds, “there was readiness and ideas for this” while noting that the move would depend on the talks and will of political leaders.

Asked how they would reach the 80-seat support for the constitutional changes, since even a broad pre-election coalition would be short of the two-thirds majority in Parliament, Marichikj says the constitutional revision should come first and then elections, because otherwise the Bulgaria position would be the only topic of the election campaign.

“We know how parties would position themselves, with VMRO-DPMNE painting an unrealistic picture, a fairytale that would be appealing to citizens, saying they will try to forge a better agreement with Bulgaria, which we know they did not manage at the time when the party had been in power. Second, we have made our best to reach the best possible agreement over the past three years, while the dispute with Greece showed that waiting for a better agreement and a better offer always takes us into a worse position,” notes Marichikj.

According to him, North Macedonia’s negotiating framework adopted by the EU Council cannot be changed.

Marichikj says sharing power with VMRO-DPMNE but without DUI following snap elections in spring is not a functional or practical idea.

He denies that a formal meeting attended by Zoran Zaev that focused on toppling PM Dimitar Kovachevski and entering a broad coalition with VMRO-DMNE without DUI never took place, with the former PM also denying such claims that emerged on social media.

“There have always been discussions on various ideas but neither the party leadership not its board ever discussed such an idea. I cannot say if an informal meeting has taken place, I have never attended one,” says Marichikj.

He adds there are no attempts to bring down Kovachevski, saying different intraparty opinions are considered while finding ways to manage the party’s unity.

“I believe that Kovachevski is fully supported by the party leadership. He has a clear plan of keeping the majority and the Government term until mid-2024 and the regular elections. Meanwhile, there are many tasks related to the EU, reforms and crisis management. We are currently focused on this and there are no prospects for any other decision,” underlines Marichikj.