Constitutional amendments remain EU condition, but we seek to preserve dignity, says Hristijan Mickoski

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the government’s position is unchanged: constitutional amendments remain a condition for opening EU accession talks, but Skopje will try to advance integration while preserving national dignity. He made the remarks during an appearance on Alsat TV following recent talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

EU document encouraging but requires European Council endorsement

Mickoski accused the opposition of misrepresenting the cabinet’s stance on the constitutional changes and on EU integration. He insisted his administration never stated the condition would be removed, and defended the government’s approach as an attempt to find a way forward without sacrificing dignity.

“We never said that this condition does not remain. Unfortunately, the previous government of SDSM and DUI accepted something that is part of this process. But what was our goal from the very beginning of the Government, if we leave aside those budalaštini that the current leadership of SDSM and DUI says that we promised, and then we lied, and if we talk about real politics, then our goal was to find a way to move that process, and at the same time to succeed in preserving dignity, which by accepting that condition, you will agree with me, was not only destroyed, but literally buried, considering that this acceptance was preceded by another humiliation, and that was the change of the constitutional name,” Mickoski said.

He described his meeting with von der Leyen as substantive and friendly, conducted between two colleagues, and welcomed a European Commission document that he called encouraging — while noting that any such document still needs to be adopted by the European Council.

“In the meantime this document appeared which the European Commission published and which I can say encourages, but that document at the end of the day must be adopted by the European Council,” he added.

Mickoski also said von der Leyen’s message contradicted opposition claims — including statements by the opposition leader Venko Filipche — that the government is not implementing reforms. “The message from the President of the European Commission was very clear and decisive which refuted what the domestic opposition says,” he said, and stressed that von der Leyen described the government’s reform work as “impressive.”

Photo: press material from the event