Skopje, 4 September 2024 (MIA) – SDSM leader Venko Filipche has called on Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski to convene a closed session in which the future steps in the EU integration process will be revealed. If he doesn’t do it, the SDSM parliamentary group will initiate a closed session in which the ruling majority, most notably VMRO-DPMNE, should say whether it has any plan on how to resume the EU integration process, he said.

“VMRO-DPMNE and the whole ruling majority has the obligation to say how we should proceed. It’s evident their strategic partner, Hungary, has said it cannot interfere and cannot be of any assistance anymore, which means the government has the responsibility. I think the prime minister has a huge obligation to reveal the government’s plan. Do they plan to integrate us into another alliance, do they think to isolate us,” Filipche said appearing in a TV21 political show. 

He recalled that VMRO-DPMNE won the May elections after promising it could improve the negotiating position with the EU. However, the opposition leader said, they haven’t done anything, only worsening our relations with the neighbours.

Filipche said the government has no desire to meet the conditions of the negotiating framework in order the country to resume its EU path. After Albania and North Macedonia were decoupled, the SDSM leader said the country will remain deadlocked unless the government took concrete steps. 

“A serious period is coming during which we will remain stuck in one place. According to the plan from 2024 until 2029 of the European Commission President, [the bloc] will work seriously with the counties making headway in the negotiations process and to admit countries in a package, such as Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia. But, this might not happen if we didn’t do our homework. A lot of work is ahead for us in 2024, 2025 and 2026. If we don’t do it, we’ll miss the train and then we will be in the group with Moldova, Ukraine and Bosnia,” said Filipche. 

Photo: SDSM