In an interview with the Zhurnal news site, VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski repeated his position that under his management, the party will reject both the outreach toward the ancient past – the so-called “antiquisation”, and the on-going “northernisation” – the imposition of the name “North Macedonia”.

I favor Macedonisation, Mickoski said, refering to the promotion of the Macedonian national identity – a movement often rejected by neighboring countries who fear the creation of a Macedonian nation state. “This process seen as not just the exclusive right of the Macedonian people, but for all who were born here, who live here, who have rejoiced and have mourned in this country, they all have the right to the Macedonisation”.

Under Mickoski, the party took the position that it will abolish the Prespa treaty if it receives the necessary majority in Parliament. If not, VMRO-DPMNE has vowed to “rectify the mistakes” once Macedonia is in the EU, when neighboring countries won’t be in a position to blackmail it any more.

Given the frequent accusations from the ruling SDSM party that the opposition VMRO-DPMNE is to blame for the failures of the Government, including now even the failure to open EU accession talks, Mickoski reminded the public that VMRO is an exceptionally loyal opposition.

Let’s compare the policies and the behavior. When SDSM was in the opposition, they vandalized, threw paint-balls, destroyed public property. Their representatives in the then technical Government wrote letters to foreign institutions which undermined the macro-economic stability of the country. You can’t compare the actions of SDSM and of VMRO-DPMNE while in opposition. We have decided on a mature, statesmanlike behavior, and do not resort to primitive ways to grab power. We are not after naked power for its own sake, Mickoski told Zhurnal.