Deputy Prime Minister Bojan Maricic acknowledged that the Government will have to enter into talks with the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, about the Bulgarian request that the Bulgarian nation is entered into the Constitution. Bulgaria blocks Macedonia’s EU accession talks over this demand, and after a series of incidents between the two countries, the veto is assured if the demand is not met, but the Government barely has the votes to keep itself above 50 percent in Parliament, let alone reach the required two thirds majority.

I think it is time that we talk with VMRO-DPMNE, whether in public or far from the public eye, it doesn’t matter, and that we begin a meaningful discussion over the constitutional amendments. Why is it a problem that we include the Bulgarians in the Constitution, how will that endanger us, Macedonians? If we enter into this discussion, I believe we will come to reasonable arguments. It would be tragic if we blocked our own country on the path to the EU over this question, Maricic said.

VMRO-DPMNE demands reciprocity from Bulgaria – the recognition of ethnic Macedonians there – and also a guarantee that this will be the last nationalist demand Bulgaria puts forward on our EU path. Otherwise, the party has said it will not support the amendments. VMRO-DPMNE also insists that this Parliament does not have mandate for such major concessions, and that new elections are needed.