I believe Macedonia will join NATO, because the geo-strategic environment dictates that, but I’m doubtful about the European Union, says VMRO-DPMNE presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova in an interview with the Macedonian Information Agency. Siljanovska told MIA that she believes the Prespa treaty is asymmetrical and that is why the Greek conservative opposition will eventually accept it, but that will not be the case with the Macedonian conservatives.

The doors to EU and NATO are open but we’ll see for how long. I believe that the NATO door is really open, but, let’s be honest, the reason for this was geo-strategic and not a wish to sincerely resolve the issue between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece. The public, the two nations, they were not involved or even appropriately informed about the process. It’s one thing to say that the doors are open, but another that we may have to stand in front of that open door for a while. I believe we will join NATO, but I doubt we will join the EU, I don’t think we’ll be invited to open accession talks this June, Siljanovska told MIA, listing all the Copenhagen criteria for EU membership which Macedonia fails to meet now such as the rule of law, a non-partisan public administration, freedom of the press…

According to the professor, who is a strong critic of the Prespa treaty, the deal that was imposed is very one-sided and she has no doubts that the Greek New Democracy will in time accept it.

One side has the rights and the other the obligations in the treaty. Even when there was no independent state here, there was a Macedonian nation, since the 19th century, when the Greek nation was also formed. It doesn’t date to the 5th century BC. Tons of books were written about the Macedonian state, the Macedonian nation. Read the Preamble to the Constitution now, read about Ilinden, the partisans, the referendum in 1991. They didn’t fight, we didn’t vote for North Macedonia. , Siljanovska says.

The candidate says that she will form an expert committee which will determine to what extent the Prespa treaty violates some of the pillars of international law, such as the right to self-determination or to equality of parties. She blasts the article of the treaty which bans Macedonia to even mention the existence of a Macedonian minority in Greece as “interference in internal affairs” of Greece, while, on the other hand, Greece can order what inscriptions should be put on monuments in Macedonia. Asked whether the “international community” would be bothered to re-open the issue, Siljanovska says:

We shouldn’t glorify, or demonize the international community. It is practical, pragmatic, it wants to score a win, to say it resolved an open issue. It has internal issues of its own. The process of redesigning the EU after Brexit for one. We see that Serbia and Montenegro are in front of this open door, but are asked to stand in front of it for a while. You can imagine how that will reflect on Macedonia. They tell us the wind is in our back, but it still needs to have something to move forward, some reforms need to be done, Siljanovska said.