Four years into term, he said, he was under public scrutiny every day, so the public is well aware I have disagreed on several occasions either with the government or the ruling parties. I have never made any calculated moves to get support from anyone, President Pendarovski told a press conference Monday.

Previously, he was accused of signing the law amendments related to the construction of corridors 8 and 10d to gain support from the ruling parties SDSM and DUI for his second presidential term.

“These are childish analyses. They have never been grounded in reality. I have never thought that way. If it benefits the citizens, I sign it, regardless of who has proposed it. If it goes against their interests, there is no person that can sway me,” he stressed, adding that he doesn’t consider a second term at the moment.

Asked if he feared Oliver Spasovski as a potential rival in the next presidential election, the head of state said self-confidence was key.

“If you have fear in life, you don’t venture into anything, let alone politics,” he said. “Fearing whoever doesn’t matter. What matters is having confidence in yourself,” Pendarovski responded.