Skopje, 4 April 2023 (MIA) - We're finally offering consensus around the Croatian model, publicly, without shutting ourselves off and without hiding anything from the public. Let's make the Preamble in our Constitution just like the Preamble in the Croatian Constitution. We are available and if they want to, we can talk about this at a leaders' meeting, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said Tuesday. 

Asked to comment regarding the constitutional amendments after overseeing construction works for a new sports hall in Butel minicipality, Mickoski said possible amendment to the Constitution takes place in three steps. 

"The first step is when a motion is forwarded to the Parliament, which sets a need to open the Constitution. This means that two-thirds of the MPs need to vote "in favor". If there are two-thirds of votes "in favor", the next step follows. This is the second step of setting up a constitutional commission to work on the amendments and take them to the second stage - to the Parliament. Then a majority of the total number of MPs is needed, i.e. 61, and if there are any, the material or the amendments are back in procedure, a final text is formed, and in the third step the procedure comes to the Parliament when two-thirds majority is needed again. This means that at least 104 to 105 days are required, if ideally this procedure starts from start to finish," said Mickoski. 

According to him, it is now the very beginning and not the time to set up constitutional commissions, but submit a motion to MPs to establish whether there's need to open the Constitution. 

"I must say, having working groups where a few politicians sit behind closed doors and decide the future of the people, while the people are against that, is beyond me. Therefore, VMRO-DPMNE decided to publicly present our proposal, not to shut ourselves off and mystify all our work. We have to work in the interest of the people and therefore we, as VMRO-DPMNE, accept the proposal indicated for the Croatian model. They should come out and say whether they accept or not," said Mickoski. 

Spokesperson of the opposition party, Marija Miteva, said Sunday that in terms of the constitutional amendments, the government has many times spoken of changing the Constitution mentioning the model of Croatia, and given that Croatia is EU member, changing the Constitution by the so-called Croatian model, she noted, is seriously applicable and acceptable for VMRO-DPMNE.