Skopje, 26 June 2025 (MIA) – We’ll do everything in our power to launch negotiations, but we won’t do it as modern Macedonians, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Thursday at a Q&A session answering a question by SDSM leader and MP Venko Filipche as to whether the government has a timeframe on how long it will be trying to help secure a change to the country’s negotiating position.

Touching upon several aspects of the EU integration process in his answer, Mickoski referred to the Thomas Waitz report, adopted earlier this week by AFET, saying a report hadn’t been adopted in the past several years in the EP “because there was North Macedonian language and identity mentioned instead of Macedonian language and Macedonian identity.”

“The situation now is quite different. Macedonian language and Macedonian identity are mentioned three times after being proposed by MEPs as amendments. One MEP on behalf of several Bulgarian representatives proposed that Macedonian identity and Macedonian language should be modified to include the word ‘modern’. The goal isn’t Bulgarians in the Constitution alongside three other ethnic communities, the goal is the creation of a new phrase – ‘modern’ Macedonian language of ‘modern’ Macedonians with ‘modern’ Macedonian identity. This is the goal of the French proposal,” Mickoski responded. 

He said he hopes the opposition in the coming two weeks until the EP plenary session on July 7-11 will make intensive efforts noting the government will continue working with both MEPs and other relevant factors. 

Regarding the proposed inclusion of three ethnic communities alongside the Bulgarian community, Mickoski said he has no issue with as many as 30 ethnic communities being included. What I have issue with, he added, is the policy of denial aimed at us.

“I also have the right to suspect that it won’t be the last concession we will be asked to make. The French proposal is the only proposal in modern Europe in which a country’s accession to the EU depends on the work on the history commission, because the protocol – signed by a former minister – clearly states that the commission should conclude its job before Macedonia joins the EU,” said Mickoski. 

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