Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski: EU integration is a marathon, not a 100‑metre race
At the October 23 ceremony in the Macedonian National Theatre he said the country will win through patient, long‑term politics rather than short bursts.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski framed North Macedonia’s drive toward EU accession as a long-distance effort rather than a short sprint, telling attendees at the official ceremony for the Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle on October 23 that the country will prevail through patience and steady strategy.
"Not a 100‑metre race, but a marathon"
Speaking at the Macedonian National Theatre, Mickoski addressed criticism that his government pursues a timid approach in relations with neighboring countries and in EU integration talks. He said the state answers “unreasonable steps with reason, provocations with principles, and pressure with resilience.”
He argued that politics is not a contest of muscle but a long game in which small nations succeed by patience, wisdom and sustained action. Mickoski added that his role as prime minister is focused on securing a future for the next generation rather than rehashing past disputes.
During the speech he rejected what he described as traps set by various services and provocative stunts, and defended the decision to sit at the table for dialogue after years in which others had refused and labeled such talks impossible.
“When many say: ‘You are playing it lukewarm,’ they should know that we act patiently and with wisdom. My task as prime minister is not to deal with bones that belong to the past, but to secure a future that belongs to our children. Let us learn from the mistakes of the past. That is why we sat down at a table for dialogue, from which they long fled and said it was impossible. I will not fall into the traps of the various services and the provocations presented through showy games. To unreasonable steps I respond with reason, to provocations with principles, to pressures with resilience and belief in who we are and what we represent. One must not always react immediately and I am not running a 100‑metre race, but a marathon, and in that marathon we will win as many times before,” Mickoski said.
Photo: Vlada)
