The government of North Macedonia will continue to pursue reforms aimed at European Union integration, but it will not amend the country's Constitution to meet external demands, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has stated.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the Prime Minister emphasized that his administration remains committed to its reform agenda and addressing domestic challenges.
“I can promise that we will fight decisively and uncompromisingly for the improvement of our citizens' living conditions and the protection of our national interests. However, I cannot promise to agree to constitutional changes imposed by others without clear guarantees and concrete objectives that this will be the final requirement,” Mickoski said.
The Prime Minister noted that in the past, North Macedonian politicians were told that changing the national flag, the Constitution, and even the country's name was necessary to align with European standards. According to Mickoski, North Macedonia has made concessions to humiliating demands for years without receiving anything in return, which has led to widespread disappointment among the country's citizens. He added that he cannot predict when this impasse will end.
Currently, North Macedonia's EU accession process is blocked by Bulgaria due to ongoing disputes regarding language and cultural-historical issues. This situation follows a history of integration hurdles; previously, North Macedonia's path to NATO and EU membership was blocked by Greece over the country's former name. In 2018, the Prespa Agreement between Athens and Skopje led to the official renaming of the country to the Republic of North Macedonia, with the parliament approving the necessary constitutional amendments in 2019. The ratification of this agreement by the Greek parliament ended a 27-year dispute, allowing North Macedonia to become the 30th member of NATO on March 27, 2020.
