Skopje, 15 May 2025 (MIA) - I hope that in the period to come we will unblock the European process in a dignified way, since dignity is one of the fundamental European values. As Council President Costa said, the path to the EU is frustrating, but the citizens of this country have also walked the most difficult path, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski at a joint press conference Thursday in Skopje with the President of the European Council, António Costa.

Mickoski stressed the country’s commitment to the EU process would strengthen, since, he said he believes the future of the country lies within the European family.

“During this new stage, when the citizens handed over the responsibility to the new Macedonian Government, my obligation as Prime Minister is to speak openly, sincerely and with dignity. I am doing this primarily out of my duty to the people, but also out of my duty to the European idea which we have been so intent on realizing. And we will be a part of the European family in a dignified way. I am convinced that we have the values, the capacity and the knowledge to walk this path in the swiftest way, with the assistance personally provided by President Costa and the support and assistance we have from the European Commission and the member states, I am certain that we will implement quality reforms and reforms that will secure a European future for our country and our citizens,” Mickoski said.

In answer to a journalist’s question on potential talks with his Bulgarian counterparts, the Prime Minister said he is ready to discuss a solution to the problem any time, noting that the presidents of the two countries have met on multiple occasions already.

“I am ready [to meet] at any time, and I conveyed to President Costa that I am ready to come to Brussels, whether in his presence, or in the presence of President [Ursula] von der Leyen, to sit down and talk whenever and for as long as it takes for us to reach a joint solution on how both sides can deliver,” Mickoski said.

Regarding his meeting with the EU Council President, Mickoski said Costa conveyed the EU’s position, while he conveyed the “already known” position of the Government that it cannot amend the country’s Constitution without clear commitments from Bulgaria.

“Our position is clear and principled. We cannot accept this [the constitutional amendments] without a goodwill delivery from the neighboring side. We cannot amend our Constitution for the countless time, without a clear message and clear delivery from the other side – the Bulgarian side. No one in our country has a problem with amendments adding, let’s say, the Croats, Montenegrins, Slovenians and others, to our Constitution, since we have principled relations with these countries. Even when it comes to the Portuguese, Spanish or French – we don’t have such a problem. We are not such a Government, nor such people. But yes, we have a problem and that is why we want to negotiate and solve that problem, and this is a two-way street,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister said there can be common ground and a chance for agreement only when both parties deliver.

“We have already done a lot in the name of the European integrations, in the name of our European future. Let me remind you, we changed our flag, we changed our name, we changed our Constitution like no one has done before. That’s why I said – yes, the path is frustrating and difficult, but for us, it is exceptionally frustrating and difficult, and it hasn’t even started yet, we are still at the same place where we were 20 years ago,” the Prime Minister stressed.

Quizzed whether the Government would continue to seek a deferred implementation of the constitutional amendments or “a creative interpretation of the negotiating framework”, Mickoski said the Government’s position is “clear and unchanged”.

“President Costa’s message is a message we have been hearing for a long time. And I assume we will continue to hear if no progress is made in the process. I will repeat, both in the past and now, my position remains the same – the Euro-integration process is founded on values, not on bilateral issues. Unfortunately, the previous Government accepted a bilateral issue as part of our European future. I cannot accept this, and I will never accept it, and I will fight as much as I can for as long as I can to find a way out of the process we are in right now. I cannot and do not have the conscience to stand in front of the Macedonian citizens and tell them that the Constitution will be amended, while forgetting that at least 14 verdicts from [the European Court of Human Rights in] Strasbourg concerning the Macedonians on the other side of the border are being ignored by Bulgaria,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister said he wouldn’t be able to agree on anything related to constitutional amendments if “an EU member state still questions my native Macedonian language and my Macedonian identity”.

“When we have a clear position, both by the EU and by all member states regarding the centuries-old Macedonian identity, language, and the real desire to be a part of the European family, as well as respect for the European institutions such as the European Court for Human Rights, then I am here, ready to talk about everything at any time. The problems can be solved if they are identified, if we stick to formalities then we will never solve them,” Mickoski said at the press conference with Costa. 

Photo: MIA