Skopje, 23 December 2025 (MIA) – President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova in her annual address in Parliament on Tuesday called for a national consensus over the country’s EU integration bid stressing that the problem is not only an administrative one, but it also lies in the constitutional changes, which are regarded as political criterium. According to her, clear guarantees are needed from both the EU and Bulgaria.

Referring to the Kochani tragedy, Siljanovska-Davkova said “we all carry the trauma of the Kochani tragedy,” noting that the fire that killed 63 people revealed lack of systemic culture, impunity underscoring the need for deep observation.

“Kochani brought us to the wall of shame,” she stressed.

The President urged the political parties and the politicians to stop locking horns involving the trial for the Kochani tragedy. The trial, she said, will show whether the judiciary will secure or whether it will permanently lose public trust. “It’s no coincidence that EU membership negotiations start and end with the judiciary.”

Siljanovska-Davkova said she hopes Parliament will soon pass the new law on the Judicial Council before she nominates two representatives.

The President in her speech also talked about foreign policy, equal representation, femicides, the environment, etc.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Constitutional Court President Darko Kostadinovski, representatives of the judicial branch, the Head of the Chief of Staff, Sashko Lafchiski, representatives of the religious communities and diplomats are in attendance for Siljanovska-Davkova’s annual address in Parliament.

Photo: screenshot