In an interview with the Slovenian weekly Demokracija, opposition presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova says that the Republic of Macedonia is regressing with regard to the rule of law and other important criteria for a democratic country and a potential European Union member. Siljanovska spoke with the conservative weekly about the name change, which she opposes, the future handling of the migrant crisis and the allegations that she is too far to the left in her politics.

Demokracija asked Siljanovska about her position on the Prespa treaty, and to what extent it was American diplomatic strong-arming Macedonia to rename its country and change its national identity. Siljanovska responds that the name change was done in violation of international law and will not resolve Macedonia’s problems with Euro-Atlantic integration.

We will enter NATO, which is the easier part of the equation, and depends largely on geo-political circumstances. But, EU is now a distant goal, given the violations of the Copenhagen criteria perpetrated in the last few years. Macedonia will not receive a recommendation to open EU accession talks at the next European summit. Regarding the name change, I have dedicated my career to the law, and I see top legal experts declare the agreement as invalid. If we, as a small country, give up on the international law, do we accept that “might is right”? As for the United States, they are our ally, but as President of the Republic I will focus on the national interests of Macedonia. Cooperation between great and small countries should be based on mutual respect. It is up to us to use the international tools, primarily in the United Nations, to preserve our national interests, Siljanovska told the Slovenian weekly.

In 2015 and 2016, Macedonia and Slovenia found themselves at the opposite ends of the Balkan migrant route, through which more than a million people entered the European Union. Regarding the now mostly dormant route, Siljanovska tells Demokracija that as President she will make a distinction between refugees fleeing war and economic migrants, and will work to stop the illegal migrants, while acting to keep our own young people at home, with an improved perspective.

We will use the experiences of the more developed countries, especially EU and FRONTEX members, and we will respect international conventions. We will also make a distinction between illegal migraion, war refugees and economic migrants. The Macedonian people remembers well the suffering of refugees, and has shown its humanity helping others in their misfortune. The real solution should be in helping improve the situation in the countries where these unfortunate people come from, Siljanovska responded.

Demokracija asks about her opposing candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, and his background working in the totalitarian Interior Ministry of Macedonia – derived from the notorious Yugoslav era UDBA secret police – and whether this has influenced the dark tone of the campaign against her – especially the recent attack on her son Pavle Davkov, which badly backfired on its organizers.

The influence of the secret, intelligence services in political fights is a dark mark on any democracy, and is especially prevalent in young democracies. Macedonia still hasn’t healed the wounds from the 2015 wiretapping affair, has not clarified who ordered the wiretapping. Until we reform the service, we will have problems with the remnants of UDBA. Pendarovski grew up in the security services, he became a scholar relatively late in his life. It was interesting that he began his own campaigning by claiming that he is being followed by foreign intelligence agencies, which raises the question whether the Government is completely incompetent and can’t protect its own presidential candidate, or whether this is part of the political in-fighting, Siljanovska responded.

Siljanovska was also asked by Demokracija about her political own political views, and whether she moved to the right to ask for the VMRO-DPMNE nomination, or expects VMRO to move closer to her own, more liberal political views. Demokracija also asked Siljanovska about an issue frequently raised by the conservative right in Macedonia – her previous association with the George Soros led FOSM Open Society foundation in Macedonia.

It’s true that for a brief time in the 1990ies, I was part of the FOSM management board, a position held by nearly all better known Macedonian intellectuals and professors both from the left and from the right. For two years I was formally a member of the Libaral Party and a minister in the Government between 1992-94. I see myself as a combination of an emancipated woman and traditional family values. The situation Macedonia is in calls for the unification of all opposition factions, and not for more divisions. I was a strong critic of all Governments, including the Gruevski Government. I can now say that the main opposition party has seen the urgency of the moment and wants to protect the national interests. These are not normal, ordinary elections. They came at a time when the democratic values are under the worst possible assault and we face national engineering, said Siljanovska.