Skopje, 18 April 2024 (MIA) – SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski in an interview with MIA announced that the candidates of the For European Future coalition running for a seat in Parliament on their election campaign trail will present their program and, as he called it, their clear plan for the country, which will resume its EU integration process. He assessed the ongoing presidential campaign as being democratic and calm so far, noting that the rhetoric heats up as the campaign nears its end.

“Despite some exceptions, I think the presidential campaign has been held so far in a democratic atmosphere in which our presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski has been promoting his program, his vision for a European Macedonia. The same thing goes for me and my appearances at some rallies. The campaign for the parliamentary elections also launches, in which the MP candidates of the For European Future coalition will visit every settlement to promote our program, our clear plan for a country that is prosperous and that will resume the process to join the EU,” said the SDSM leader.

Commenting on claims that there have been interference or attempts to interfere by third parties from abroad in the election campaign, Kovachevski said there have been attempts to meddle not only in the elections, but also in the everyday political life in Macedonia. Primarily, he said he refers to countries that do not want to see Macedonia in the EU and that want the open issues and the open conflicts not to be closed in Macedonia and also in the region.

“However, I believe we, as a state, have the capacity and the institutions that would create conditions for the citizens to cast their votes in these elections in the most democratic way possible. As I’ve said before and according to statements by top officials of our strategic partners, in Macedonia influence from third parties has been exerted, especially by those close to Russia or their satellites via political parties or some organizations. They want to impose a rhetoric that is different from the one the citizens of Macedonia want and deserve,” stated Kovachevski.  

One of the issues that have recently got the public’s attention is the call of the caretaker foreign minister, Bujar Osmani, for our country to re-examine its participation in the Open Balkan initiative. According to Kovachevski, the Open Balkan initiative is an original idea originating from the region and formed by three countries, namely Macedonia, Albania and Serbia, and based on the European Union’s four liberties.

“In its essence, it includes the fundaments of the European Union, such as free movement of people, free movement of capital, of products, and free movement of services,” said Kovachevski in the interview stressing that regional cooperation is extremely vital.

“There are 72 regional initiatives in the Western Balkans, one of them is Open Balkan. There is also a far more important initiative, the Berlin Process, which includes all Western Balkan countries. But it faces a problem – not a single initiative has come to life given the fact that there is always a problem in some of the countries. For example, the officials in Bosnia cannot find an agreement over the ratification of some documents. Also, there could be a problem between two other countries, which means the whole process is slow. But, I think the process can be sped up since all the countries have a clear determination to join the EU. Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia have already started negotiating. Also there are NATO members, including Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia. I think that Serbia and Kosovo should resume the dialogue in order to normalize their relations. We will work together more on common topics, which at the end of the day will result in countries that are members of the European Union,” said Kovachevski.

The SDSM leader talked about his party’s election program that is based on seven pillars, elaborating which data and calculations have been used to project an average salary of 1,100 euros and a minimum wage of 600 euros…

“The program of the Social Democratic Union represents a logical continuity of what’d done in the past seven years. You are well aware that for seven years we’ve had the responsibility to manage the government of the Republic of North Macedonia together with the coalition partners. Mistakes were of course made in the past seven years. If anyone here in this studio is to take responsibility, that would be me. Those who are able to admit the mistakes they made, they can also improve. First of all, I refer to the need to further improve the living standards of the citizens given the rising prices due to the war in Ukraine. Also, improvement of the rule of law and strengthened fight against corruption. These are the three things that concern the citizens most,” said Kovachevski.

On the other hand, he stressed, we did one thing that is extremely important and we did it right – we established a clear vision and a clear path of North Macedonia into the European Union.

“We’, the coalition and SDSM, had made difficult decisions in order the country to join NATO. Now we’re seeing what it means to be a NATO member in the midst of conflicts everywhere, in Europe and in the Middle East as well. We started negotiations with the European Union with the Macedonian language being protected, the Macedonian culture being protected and the Macedonian identity being protected. No one questions this any longer,” Kovachevski stated.

A promise for a Є1,100-salary and Є600-minimum wage, pension raise, additional funds to be awarded to the young, etc – Kovachevski said these figures are a resumption of the solid economic policies the SDSM government has implemented.

“As a result of the stable ambient as a NATO member, the foreign direct investments have doubled, compared to those registered in 2016. Last year, we recorded 700 million euros of foreign direct investments compared to 300 million euros in 2016. We introduced support of the Macedonian companies for the first time and we secured with 100 million euros an economic cycle of half a billion euros of investments of the domestic companies, that created 5,000 jobs at home in addition to a series of other measures that impacted the pay raises. Secondly, money in the budget is planned for increasing investments. In the past two years, the highest realization of capital investments was registered, which also prompts job creation in the country. It has contributed to reducing unemployment from 25 percent, as recorded in 2016, to 12 percent. We have projections of 7 percent unemployment in 2028,” Kovachevski told MIA.

The SDSM leader said that he and his party have a very clear position involving the need for adopting the constitutional changes, because they are one of the obligations of North Macedonia in view of the negotiating framework. Asked when the constitutional changes might be adopted given the statements of the Albanian political bloc that it should happen before the formation of the government or by year’s end, and the statement by a German MP that VMRO-DPMNE could adopt the changes by the end of the year. Kovachevski said: “Once they gather up courage, they can call SDSM anytime” in order the constitutional changes to be passed in Parliament.

“I have signed and submitted the constitutional changes to Parliament. So, when they decide, when the other politicians in the country gather up the courage, the same ones who didn’t have the courage to support NATO membership and the same ones who didn’t have the courage to enter the [Parliament] hall when the Frontex Agreement was put to vote, where we have a clean Macedonian language for the first time alongside all other languages of the European Union, approved by all member states of the European Union, including Bulgaria and Greece, which was unconceivable before, the same ones who didn’t support Macedonia’s entry into the United Nations during Kiro Gligorov’s time, those same people have no courage today either. Once they gather up the courage, they can phone SDSM and me anytime, so we can go to Parliament and adopt the constitutional changes that will add parts of other nationalities to the Constitution, including the Bulgarian people, where for the first time we will have a clear distinction between the Macedonian people and parts of the Bulgarian people which refutes VMRO’s old thesis that this is a region with one people in two countries. Now, for the first time, we will have Macedonian people and parts of the Bulgarian people. Once they gather up the courage for that they can call us, regardless of whether they want to do it before the elections, after the elections, on election day, at 12pm, at 12am, at 3pm or at 3am, we are ready to adopt the necessary decisions for the country’s future,” Kovachevski said. 

The SDSM leader said he expects their presidential candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, to win at the elections, as well as the party to win a majority to form a pro-European government, with which, he said, North Macedonia will achieve what the citizens expect. Kovachevski said that every vote matters to him; that he knows the concerns of the citizens and that if anyone should take responsibility for the mistakes that have been made it should be him. 

“The Coalition for European Future and its coalition partners will have over 61 [MPs] and we will form a pro-European government with which North Macedonia will have a very clear direction in terms of where to go and how to secure a better European living standard for the citizens. I respect each vote regardless of if it is by a [party] member, sympathizer, or, as you put it, an undecided voter. Every vote matters and every citizen represents a vote at the elections and the citizens have the sovereign right to decide how the country will be run in the future. At the very beginning, I told you that I know what troubles the citizens, because if anyone knows what it is that causes concern, it is me, and if anyone should take responsibility for the mistakes that have been made, it should be me. I am ready to do that,” the SDSM leader stressed. 

Kovachevski noted he knows the high prices are a concern for the citizens, which is why, he said, a series of measures have been implemented and inflation is already at 3-4 percent. He added they have a very clear plan with 41 measures regarding the rule of law. 

“On the first day when we form a government, I will submit constitutional changes on reforms of the Judicial Council, in terms of the election; duration of terms; what a recognized jurist represents; the manner of sanctioning, assessing, etc., of every member of the judicial system and the prosecution. The same applies to politicians as well. I know that the citizens are unsatisfied with the way a good deal of officials, regardless of their political party, managed many of the state enterprises, public institutions etc. On this issue I can say that there will be many changes in terms of the people who are managing the institutions. There will be greater discipline in terms of the functioning of those who have the honor to manage public institutions, because I have to say that over the past two years I wasn’t able to commit myself to the personal behavior of those who were managing certain departments, since we were working during a significant crisis and the teams had to work 24 hours on reducing prices, securing electricity, subsidizing electricity,” the SDSM leader said. 

Asked about DUI’s position that the election of the country’s president in Parliament will be their condition for the forming of government, Kovachevski said many things are being said during the campaign but underscored that SDSM has had a very clear position on this issue since 2019 and that this isn’t a new demand. 

“The country’s president should be chosen at elections because the president should be an independent figure with integrity that will act as a corrective to the political parties that represent the citizens, instead of being a representative of the political parties. That’s precisely what President Stevo Pendarovski is like,” Kovachevski underlined. 

The SDSM leader said elections are the best way to choose the country's president and this practice will continue in the future.

“What DUI thinks must be done, they can say at their rallies, however, the democratic institutions have the sovereign right, in this case Parliament, to decide how the country functions. We have a constitutional order in which the country’s president is elected by the citizens,” said Kovachevski. 

If it is necessary for the formation of government, the SDSM leader said the party would form a coalition with all parties who aren’t a part of their electoral coalition and who share the same values for a European Macedonia, for a better European living standard, for the rule of law, for a vetting of the political and judicial system, as well as the business sector. 

Asked about whether the European elections could affect the EU’s policy towards North Macedonia, Kovachevski said there is a logical continuity to the European Union’s enlargement policy. 

“If you take a look at the distribution of power at the European elections, then once again we can expect the party of the European conservatives – the EPP, to have the big say, followed by the Party of European Socialists, which SDSM is a part of, our former leader [Radmila] Shekjerinska is a Vice-President of the Party of European Socialists, while SDSM’s international secretary Bojan Marichikj is a member of the Presidency. They have a very clear policy in terms of the countries aspiring to become members of the European Union, and it is a policy of supporting and boosting cooperation,” Kovachevski said. 

According to Kovachevski, it is no coincidence that the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans was adopted before the European elections, which, he said, “very clearly stimulates all reform processes that each country should make, the regional cooperation that should be enhanced and of course, all of that will be supported with an EU financial package worth EUR 6 billion, EUR 2 billion in grants and EUR 4 billion of favorable loans that will be guaranteed by the European Union. This means they will have much lower interest rates than if the states were to individually take them out from international financial institutions on the free financial market.“ 

Kovachevski also said he felt he had to voice concern over the positions of SDSM's political opponent - VMRO-DPMNE.  

“If you see their campaign, it absolutely doesn’t say anything about the EU integration. They predict some alternative scenarios, some renegotiations with the neighbors, with the EU, which is a utopia, it has no contact with reality and this was confirmed by the EU commissioners who said the European Negotiating Framework is aligned with all 27 member states, it provides a protection of the Macedonian language, identity and culture, and ensures North Macedonia’s negotiations with the European Union in line with the Copenhagen Criteria. And now if u were to ask VMRO-DPMNE and their [presidential] candidate for a statement, you would see that their positions aren’t aligned. She says one thing, their leader says something else,” Kovachevski noted. 

The interview with Dimitar Kovachevski, SDSM leader and the party’s list principal in the first electoral district, is the first in a series of interviews ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections scheduled for May 8. 

Elizabeta Veljanovska Najdeska

Translated by Bisera Altiparmakova-Marusic and Angel Dimoski

Photo: MIA

Video and editing: Andrej Brankovikj and Vladimir Rabasovikj