Skopje, 14 March 2024 (MIA) — The EU will respect us and treat as as equals only if we honor the Copenhagen Criteria; if we have an independent judiciary, uphold human rights and freedoms; if we have European education instead of universities that are paper mills churning more doctorates per capita than Britain, VMRO-DPMNE's presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said in a Telma TV appearance.

She said North Macedonia would see another veto by the EU and "we will get I don't know how many vetoes because of the non-compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria."

"Them saying if we don't change the Constitution we will be out… How many times have we actually started these negotiations? First we started the negotiations on a plane. Then the negotiations began in Thessaloniki with the statements of the former prime minister. Then the Prespa Agreement: Are you in favor of EU and NATO membership by accepting the Prespa Agreement? That is illusionism," Siljanovska-Davkova said.

She also said, "Our neighbors should recognize European values."

"Is it not a European value to honor Strasbourg rulings? What country has judges judging in Strasbourg, yet does not recognize the Strasbourg rulings that apply to it?", she said. mr/