SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski painted a dramatic picture of his personal anguish as he was negotiating with Bulgaria on their demands and conditions over Macedonia’s EU accession talks. Kovacevski said that he felt as if being stabbed in the guts, but never the less, he insists that Macedonia has no option but to accept the demands.

These are elections where we choose between hope and hopelessness. Between EU integration and isolation, insisted Kovacevski, painting his insistence to accept the Bulgarian demands for constitutional changes only years after Macedonia accepted the imposed name change in its talks with Greece, as mark of firmness. Kovacevski presented himself as a brave leader because he is willing to accept compromises that are rejected by a large majority of the citizens.

Mickoski responded that VMRO-DPMNE, whose voters are crucial for any constitutional change, will not accept the Bulgarian demands as they are presented now.

The citizens did not expect the proposal that Kovacevski, Spasovski, Pendarovski and the others in the Government accepted. You not only humiliated Macedonia, but placed it in a subordinate position, and tried to manipulate the citizens and insult their intelligence. You acted as if consciously working in favor of the Bulgarian interests and you blocked Macedonia on its EU path, Micokski said.