In his statement congratulating the nation on the day of the World War Two uprising, VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski linked the struggle for nationhood with the current pressures Macedonia is facing.

We are witnessing the denial and the selling out of Macedonian national values, while the people are faced with unseen intimidation and torture. Injustices, poverty and crime, are part of the daily life in Macedonia. That is why we must stand up against the injustice and fight to restore Macedonia to the true path, to building a bright and secure European future. On October 11 we must remember the sacrifices of the Macedonian heroes and fight for justice and the good of the country and future generations, Mickoski said.

The day marks the first partisan guerrilla actions against the Bulgarian occupying forces in 1941, which eventually led to the establishment of the state of Macedonia, within communist ran Yugoslavia.

The national liberation struggle of the Macedonian people proved the continuity of our fight for statehood and independence and realized the goals and ideals of the Ilinden uprising which laid the foundations of a Macedonian state. That was the path of our grandfathers and fathers, who dedicated themselves to the ideal of statehood and liberty, Mickoski added.