At the party congress that takes place in Skopje today, VMRO-DPMNE will vote on its leader and will adopt a doctrine that will guide the party in the coming period, said Secretary General Gjorgjija Sajkoski. Party leader Hristijan Mickoski is the only candidate for leader – any talk of a challenger dissipated after his major victory at the local elections in October.

Besides electing a party leader, the delegates at the congress will adopt the doctrine which will serve as platform for the future activities of VMRO-DPMNE. We are also going to elect a Committee for oversight and finances, Sajkoski said.

Party officials say that the main theme of the congress, and of the reimagined party doctrine, will be to put in place policies that will instill confidence in the citizens that they can lead a good life in Macedonia, and do not need to leave the country. This is meant to counter the loss of confidence in the country over the past years of Zaev’s regime.

We want to renew hope among our citizens that they can live well at home, in the Republic of Macedonia. That is the key answer to the existence of the Macedonian state, the party said.

Another key issue of the doctrine is to stop and prevent the undermining of the Macedonian national identity. The uniqueness of the Macedonian nation has been under assault for decades, and especially in the past years of appeasement tactics toward the neighboring countries.

Any attempt to open a discussion about the identity issues and the identity characteristics of the Macedonian people will lead to issues being raised about our independence. VMRO-DPMNE will continue to fight for justice and for the respect that is due to the Macedonian nation and state in international relations, is another key position in the doctrine.

The conservative party also intends to send out a call to others, who have not supported it in the past, that it is open to build consensus for the key issues of management of the state, on internal and foreign matters and on the future of the Macedonian state. This call will apply to other ethnic groups in Macedonia, who will be guaranteed equal rights in the country, as well as to Macedonians living abroad.

VMRO-DPMNE will guarantee respect for the rule of law and for the human rights and civic liberties in Macedonia, and work to develop democracy in the country that is ranked as a hybrid regime.

In the economic sphere, the party will favor a vital social market economy, protecting private property and freedom of the market, and will aim for a high rate of economic growth based on innovation and entrepreneurship, while preserving a sense of social justice. State interventionism in the economy will be pared down, and the economy will be deregulated and enjoy a low tax regime and a smaller bureaucratic apparatus.