While debating Macedonia’s foreign policy, Zoran Zaev insisted that he and his SDSM party have the undivided support of the Western countries for delivering on the imposed name change. VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski responded by reminding Zaev how he and his party would attack conservative leaders such as Hungarian Prime MInister Viktor Orban, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, or the upcoming Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

We do all in our power to secure the opening of EU accession talks as soon as possible, and I speak and will speak with Jansa, Orban, with Kurz, with Plenkovic and other leaders of EU member states, Mickoski said before reminding Zaev how badly he deteriorated relations with these countries, who greatly support Macedonia’s EU accession talks and may prove to be crucial in the coming period.

Zaev, who was denied a date to open EU accession talks even as he is imposing a name change on Macedonia, said that this decision of the European Council in October was a “historic error” which he hopes will be corrected soon.