Skopje, 3 April 2025 (MIA) — His meeting with SDSM leader Venko Filipche highlighted the need to build a national consensus on key issues, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said in a TV appearance Thursday evening.

"We can criticize each other where there is room for criticism, but when it comes to key directions, we need to build a culture of unity and consensus," Mickoski said, adding that he would meet with other party leaders, if they requested a meeting with him, and he would tell them the same.

Mickoski and Filipche discussed including SDSM members into reform processes, the prime minister said.

"SDSM was in the previous government for seven years," the PM said, pointing out that amendments to the Criminal Code were adopted in Parliament during that time "by abusing the European flag."

"I see no reason why they should not be included as well as others who want to be included with their own ideas, toward making real reforms," he added.

According to Mickoski, regardless of differences between political parties, politicians needed to have an open dialogue.

"This is important to me as a politician. Let's sit down and agree on the key issues and not have dissonant tones afterward," he said.

"We can criticize each other on areas where should be room for criticism — poor performance in the economy, someone abusing something... But when it comes to key directions, we have to build a culture of unity." 

Mickoski said the meeting sent a message that "we politicians have learned our lesson and we need to reflect a message of unity to the citizens." He added that the nation was in grief and politicians needed to show they could step back from scoring political points and "show breadth" instead.

Asked how the cooperation with SDSM would be put into practice, the prime minister said experts from the opposition party could comment on laws that were currently being drafted in the Ministry of Justice.

"They can have some input here, if they think the contents can be improved," Mickoski said. mr/