Skopje, 27 July 2022 (MIA) – VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said Wednesday the party must stick to its positions because it is a party of the people and must protect its interests. Mickoski was quizzed over the statement of European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, who said the opposition crossed the red lines through its conduct. “The Macedonian people are under fierce attack from the assimilation desires of our eastern neighbor, Bulgaria, an EU member-state. We are a party for Macedonian national unity and cannot ignore this. The people are behind VMRO-DPMNE and the authorities and installations within the opposition that attack the party will be defeated. Those installations put pressure on VMRO-DPMNE, thinking they would enjoy some privileges and benefits when the party takes power. This is the new VMRO-DPMNE, the reformed, restructured VMRO-DPMNE that will not be held hostage by these installations, or as I call them ‘half-world’, as long as I am president,” Mickoski told reporters. According to him, VMRO-DPMNE will either be a party characterized by honor, work and progress or a party of the past, suspected of committing crimes. “VMRO-DPMNE is a modern, European party focusing on the people. Voters and the people are the ones saying who has crossed the red lines or not. Mr. Varhelyi’s goal is to do his job and our job is to reject assimilation,” said Mickoski. He added that VMRO-DPMNE would continue to protect the Macedonian identity because the only red line that has been crossed is the one of dignity. “There is no price, no politics, no political career, now is the time to be or not to be. Either the Macedonian people will persevere and exist for centuries to come, or will be permanently assimilated. This is VMRO-DPMNE’s battle and this is the task of this reformed VMRO-DPMNE,” noted Mickoski.