Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski had his first exchange with new SDSM leader Venko Filipce during the Parliament question time today. In the course of the exchange, Mickoski even offered that early elections take place next year, along with the local elections scheduled in spring.

The topic of discussion was Macedonia’s stalled EU integration, over which Mickoski said that, from inside sources, it became clear that German, French, Belgian officials were more engaged in supporting Macedonian interests than the SDSM – DUI Government. “I can’t describe the shame I felt and the naivety with which our politicians approached a problem such as this one. Our path remains one, toward the European Union, Mickoski said about the negotiations with Bulgaria that led to the vetoing of Macedonia’s accession talks.

In the course of his remarks, Mickoski also called out Filipce and SDSM for the numerous corruption scandals of the party, as well as its persecution of political opponents.

I hope that one day you will be able to come out of your partisan mold and apologize for all that you did in the past 7 years, with your criminal policies and for all the pain that you inflicted. Rest assured that none of us have forgotten. We will not act like you, to send special police forces in two in the morning to arrest people. But we will arrest those who plundered the country for seven years and they will be held responsible. The reaction will be severe. You won’t be helped by the changes you made in the Criminal Code, Mickoski said, referring to the SDSM and DUI move to water down criminal clauses covering abuse of office.

In the end, Mickoski offered Filipce that early general electiosns take place. “We can try ourselves. If you want to, we can arrange that right now”, Mickoski told Filipce.