Skopje, 5 April 2024 (MIA) – A president should be the connective tissue of various political and ethnic narratives. A president’s role is that of a father of the nation, as well as a creator, and a president should constantly call for achieving national consensus - political consensus, as well as economic consensus. Above all, a consensus on accelerated membership in the European Union, DUI-backed presidential hopeful and incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani says in an interview with MIA.

Osmani points out that European Union membership by 2030, and more integration before membership is among the pillars of his election platform. In the interview with MIA, he also announced lodging an economic framework agreement. Osmani underscores that the conditions are ripe for citizens to vote for competence, not for ethnicity, and he expects the support from citizens from all ethnic communities. According to him, there are serious chances that citizens will this time overcome ethnic lines and decide to vote for a candidate who can ensure the country’s progress.

“In the mission and vision of a president of the state, according to my perspective, a president should first be the compass of the country’s geostrategic orientation. This is a very important issue, particularly amid conditions of external malign influences. Second, a president should be the connective tissue of various ethnic and political narratives. North Macedonia is one of the most successful functional multi-ethnic democracies not only in the region, but beyond. The pillar of the country’s stability and progress is inter-ethnic harmony, functional multi-ethnic democracy. A president of a country has the role of being a connective tissue, of being the glue that holds those different narratives together, narratives which can often be contradictory. However, a president’s role is to create an advantage out of diversity, and to further encourage such diversity.”

He noted that in addition to advocating for EU membership by 2030, he will also bring forward the concept of more integration before membership, so that citizens feel the benefits of the negotiations with the European Union even before the membership itself - access to funds, access to the market and access to the political bodies of the European Union.

“Next, I propose an economic framework agreement, just as we reached national consensus in relation to the Ohrid Framework Agreement - all parties from the entire political spectrum, and international assistance if necessary. However, we have achieved certain goals that inter-ethnic relations will develop in a certain direction and no matter how much dissatisfaction there is at the moment, it is only a perception. Still from the perspective of the strategic development of the state, I believe that the state has stabilized and we have inter-ethnic harmony, a functional multi-ethnic democracy, which is something we should be proud of. Now is the time to concentrate on an economic framework agreement,” Osmani pointed out.

He says the main reason why he is running for president was that he has been at the core of the most important processes of the state, having held the office of Deputy PM for European Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the Prespa Agreement processes, the negotiations with Bulgaria, as well as negotiations with the French EU Presidency regarding the Negotiating Framework and the start of negotiations after 17 years of waiting.

“Now that we are at the brink of a very important historical moment, the process of European integration, which has been a top priority of the citizens for 30 years, can be wrapped up from the position of a president of the country, because there is no alternative process in terms of the standard of living, in terms of keeping young people here, in terms of increasing the quality of life of every citizen. I often say, false modesty aside, I am a hard worker, I have both national and international experience, I chaired the world’s largest international security organization, the OSCE, and the contacts that I acquired in Europe and in the world during my term both as OSCE Chairman-in-Office and as Foreign Minister, I believe will be of great help to the country, to be able to present the country abroad through the post of president, but also to make use of those contacts in order to achieve our foreign policy goals,” Osmani told MIA.

Osmani sees no alternative to EU membership, pointing out that none of the smaller states in the Eastern bloc have succeeded without the European Union.

“All political parties on both sides of the spectrum need to reach a national consensus that we will compete, of course, in terms of who will offer a better solution for healthcare, who will offer a better solution for education. However, we must join forces regarding the main issues of EU membership by 2030, we must reach a cross-party consensus. That’s what Croatia did. The prime minister and the opposition at the time shook hands in front of the public and reached a deal to compete on all other issues, but not on the issues regarding the European Union. That has been a centerpiece in my several years as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As president of the country, it would be my first priority to reach a national consensus in relation to EU 2030, as well as in relation to strategic economic directions. It is a proposal discussed with the economic chambers, and they agree that political issues, ethnic issues are increasingly getting back on the rails and getting a direction. Now is the time to reach a national consensus regarding economic issues and the country’s development, and that has been my priority in terms of the economic framework agreement,” says Osmani.

He added that if elected president, he will also initiate setting up an international board composed of NATO, the European Union and the United States, which would certify all public office holders - from the political life, the institutional, judicial system, according to two criteria.

“The first, whether they have any connection with Russian interest. It is very important to put up a wall against Russian interest in the country, because historically we have seen damage to the Macedonian people, and the Albanian people, and everyone has seen damage from Russian interest, and we must build a wall against Russian interest. So, verification that no holder of public office can represent Russian interest in this country and second, whether they are involved in any corrupt acts. And my proposal is that without obtaining such a certificate, no one can hold a public office of minister, director, judge, prosecutor, etc.,” Osmani notes.

Osmani commented on the proposal of electing the country’s president in Parliament, instead of direct elections.

Asked whether according to him this would introduce a new political crisis or it would further weaken democracy, he says it would give a president who would be the result of a political and ethnic consensus.

“Direct elections are not compatible with multi-ethnic states and societies. The basic principle of the Framework Agreement was to prevent the principle of majorization and emphasizing others and to create mechanisms in which everyone will be involved in an inclusive process. That is why we believe that in such a process of electing a president in the Parliament, we will first get a president who will be a product, i.e. a result of a political and ethnic consensus. We have so far had presidents who are a source of polarization and escalation of society,” Osmani says.

According to him, this would overcome such polarization, because both the Macedonian ruling party and the Macedonian opposition would be included in the decision.

“The intra-Macedonian conflict that often results from the election of the president - you know, Crvenkovski was repeatedly called Mr. Crvenkovski by the opposition, Trajkovski as well, Ivanov too. And instead of the president having that role of a connective tissue, turned out to be an additional source of polarization. I think that if we elect a president in such a political consensus, as well as an ethnic consensus through Badenter's majority, who will have the will of the entire political and ethnic spectrum, he will then have the authority to be able to call on them to achieve national consensus. The biggest reason why North Macedonia is not developing so fast is because of the continuous permanent political crises, sometimes ethnic crises as well because we did not create a mechanism for reaching a national consensus for de-escalation and depolarization. So, if we do have a president who will have the will and authority towards the entire political and ethnic spectrum, we will finally have such a mechanism for achieving national consensus,” says Osmani.

He points out that he differs from the other candidates in terms of competence because he was the only one who has international experience, including being the Chairman-in-Office of the world’s largest regional security organization - OSCE amid a difficult geopolitical period.

Osmani underscores that the conditions are ripe for citizens to vote for competence, not for ethnicity. 

“I am a surgeon. No one asking for my help in surgery has ever asked me about my ethnicity, but whether I can do well what they need, the citizens. So regardless of whether they were Macedonians, Turks, Bosniaks, they have never asked about my ethnicity, but whether I was a good surgeon. That’s what the citizens should do as well. Not to ask whether Osmani is an Albanian or a Turk, but whether Osmani has shown so far that he can deal with difficult challenges, whether he can push the processes forward, whether he has managed to achieve authority in the international community, among those who make the big decisions in Europe and in the world, that is what I think they should be asking themselves, the same way they take care of their own health, they should take care of the health of the state and the institutions. They should focus on competence. And I hope to see that this race, this competition between the candidates will be a competition in terms of competence, a competition in terms of international authority, a competition in terms of communication with the world because those are the competencies of a president - to represent the country abroad, to have a role in security, and of course in the Army. In that regard, I expect the citizens to focus on experience, honesty, dedication and international credibility,” Osmani pointed out.

He believes he stands a real chance to head to the election run-off, and expects support from all ethnic communities being confident that the time has come for citizens to give their trust based on ability, experience, dedication and honesty, and not only according to party or ethnic directives. 

Asked whether it is true that international factors have suggested him to run for NATO Secretary General after his term as Foreign Minister ends, and whether he sees himself in another international post in the future, he says that he is now focused on the presidential elections.

“There are serious chances that citizens will this time overcome ethnic lines and decide to vote for a candidate who can ensure the country’s progress. It's true that I have recommendations for several international organizations based on the experience I gained as OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the success we achieved, but of course my work as Minister of Foreign Affairs as well. However, now I am focused on the presidential election, the presidential term, and then we will see what happens next,” Osmani said.

Osmani also announced the holding of the Prespa Forum on June 13-14 2024.

“Whether I will be in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or I will be elected president by then I can’t tell, but preparations are underway to hold the fourth edition of the Prespa Forum Dialogue because it is one of the legacies of my term and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as we managed to build a serious regional platform for dialogue which gave a serious image before the world. A ministerial meeting within the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) is taking place day after the Prespa Forum, with 13 SEE countries, and I expect the foreign ministers as well,” Osmani said in the interview with MIA, announcing the attendance of top officials from Europe and the United States.

Neda Dimova Prokikj

Translated by Nevenka Nikolikj

Photo: MIA

Video and editing: Andrej Brankovikj and Vladimir Rabasovikj