There are no guarantees that this will be the last amendment to the Constitution, VMRO-DPMNE leader, Hristijan Mickoski, said in an interview with the Serbian influential daily  Politika, accusing the Macedonian diplomacy that it didn’t secure better positions and guarantees that there will be no more obstacles on the Macedonian EU path.

“What are the guarantees that this constitutional amendment will be the last one? How can we be certain that in the near future, there won’t be a demand to amend the Constitution by redefining our identity issues; that they won’t demand minimizing or erasing of ASNOM as a foundation of our statehood”, Mickoski pointed out.

Responding to the question about the EU high officials’ messages that the amending of the Constitution is the only way to EU prosperity for Macedonia, Mickoski reiterated his party’s official position.

“If amending the Constitution was a condition for EU membership, then Macedonia would have already become a member country, even a champion of the EU because during the last 30 years, we have amended the Constitution more than all the other member countries together. We are clearly conveying this message to our partners from the international community.  A partnership is a two-way street based on mutual respect. The EU institutional guarantees are a small step for them, but a huge encouragement for us that the EU path is not a moving target, but an attainable goal”, Mickoski said.

Regarding PM Kovachevski’s offer to VMRO-DPMNE to enter a government without DUI representatives, Micoski said that “we don’t need power for the power itself – there will be elections in Macedonia sooner or later”.

“Participating in a government without some of the incriminated SDS and DUI officials would have helped Macedonia to traverse toward reforms more swiftly, but absent of clear position on international issues, it would have been pointless, too. We may implement the best reforms in the world, but when we sit at the negotiating table, we will be blocked because of historical and retrograde narratives. I have to emphasize that the government never accepted our proposal, but instead tried to abuse it and twist it in a perfidious manner. Now the elections are the only option”, Mickoski explained.

In the interview with Politika, Mickoski also addressed the relationship with Serbia, which he assessed as good, with still plenty of room for improvement.

“If you allow me to be an “economic nationalist”, with the next government led by VMRO-DPMNE, Macedonia will successfully compete with Serbia in the future, perhaps even be better in attracting investment and in the economic development”, Mickoski said.