Skopje, 24 January 2024 (MIA) – VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said on Wednesday the party wouldn’t vote for the constitutional amendments as long as he is at the helm.

Mickoski reiterated his position when asked if VMRO-DPMNE would vote for the constitutional amendments, considering the direct messages from the international community, including the statements of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O’Brien, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Representative to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

“There’s no more direct way for me to tell them this. I’ve told them that VMRO-DPMNE will not vote for the constitutional amendments in their current form as long as I am its leader. It will never happen,” said Mickoski.

According to Mickoski, what is in the interest of the international community, is not an interest for the citizens, “nor is it among the top ten”.

“Macedonia and the Macedonian people have given a lot for that path to the EU – their name, last name, flag, banknotes, constitutions – like no other peoples in Europe. It is time for the international community to start delivering,” said the leader of VMRO-DPMNE.

In response to the statement of EU Ambassador David Geer, in which he points to the constitutional amendments as a condition that the country must fulfill in order to continue its Euro-integration, and that there won’t be changes to the 'French proposal' or the negotiating framework, Mickoski reiterated that “the international community is the one that should deliver now”.

“Those who represented Macedonia accepted something that they can’t deliver, because they didn’t include us in the process, [if they had] it would’ve been clear to them that this can’t pass. We would’ve had a French proposal with which we would’ve been convinced that there is predictability that the international community, considering the geostrategic context, would allow Macedonia to move ahead towards the EU, but that didn’t happen. They thought they could just sign it and remain in power, while Macedonia didn’t get anything from the European path,” stressed Mickoski, voicing his conviction that they will form the next government with these positions.

Photo: VMRO-DPMNE