The Zoran Zaev Government needs to resign urgently and a new Government of national unity needs to be formed, said Aleksandar Nikoloski, Vice President of the VMRO-DPMNE party, during a Sitel TV interview this evening. Nikoloski pointed to the collapse of Zaev’s attemtp to ensure the opening of EU accession talks by making endless concessions to neighboring countries of issues of vital national interest to Macedonia. Bulgaria announced it will not allow the accession talks to open, saying that Macedonia did not deliver enough.

I’m still hopeful, although I’m very disappointed by the position of Bulgaria. We are neighbors and two close countries, and the least we can expect is for Bulgaria to support the progress of Macedonia toward the EU. It is in the interest of all of us. But Zoran Zaev’s policy is suffering a fiasco. He was not thinking long term, he lies at home, in Macedonia, and he lies abroad, and he brought the Macedonian people before an impossible choice – that we either deracinate ourselves, become something we are not, or to drop our EU accession talks and lose economic progress or the progress in the rule of law, Nikoloski said.

He added that Zaev was obviously making promises to top Bulgarian politicians that he will deliver on all their demands if he wins the July 2020 elections, for which he received their endorsement. Bulgarian politicians also point out to the major concessions Zaev made to Greece, including constitutional changes, and now want something similar, he added. Nikoloski said that a broad Government of national unity will help bring the country out of the quagmire.

We need to survive as Macedonians, we know that our roots are Macedonian, and we also need Macedonia to open EU accession talks and to advance in the economy and in the rule of law. Zaev went too far with his concessions and left Macedonia in a difficult position. We need a dignified position, where Macedonia will fight for itself with facts and with dignity, Nikoloski said.