VMRO-DPMNE called out SDSM for failing to secure international support for Macedonia at the recent European Council, where countries like Ukraine and Moldova were given the go-ahead to open EU accession talks, while Macedonia and the other Balkan countries were snubbed. Germany intervened with Hungary, to get it to lift its veto against Ukraine, but no major EU country stepped up to do the same with Bulgaria, which is blocking Macedonia’s accession talks.

Why did not SDSM ask German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who comes from their sister party, to get the Bulgarian Prime Minister to step out of the Council while our issue was discussed?, VMRO-DPMNE asks. The response comes after Scholz urged the German conservative CDU party to ask their sister party VMRO-DPMNE to accept the Bulgarian demands for constitutional changes.

– We express our satisfaction with the decision of the Union to open accession talks with Ukraine. This shows that, when there is sincere will, everything can be done to ensure the strategic goals, even to begin EU accession talks with a war torn country. We are also surprised by the level of masochism displayed by SDS which, after all the blows they received by the Union in its latest progress report, showing an epidemic of corruption, chaos and disfunction, they continue to remain silent and implement disastrous policies. SDS and DUI accepted the Bulgarian dictate because they are corrupt and have no other cards to play, VMRO-DPMNE says in a statement.