2024-04-01 14:35:03
The Macedonian president and candidate for a new mandate, Stevo Pendarovski, in an interview with Croatian RTL, said that the EU does not have much focus on the region.
“Quite unexpectedly for us, 3 or 3 and a half years ago, Bulgaria asked for a memorandum, a document in which it wants the impossible, which does not happen in normal societies. Bulgaria asked us to change our identity. And as Bulgarians, to enter the EU. The opposition tried on that map to score points, unfortunately this issue managed to make it the main pre-election and election issue. They said that there would be no compromise with Bulgaria, and we needed these votes in the parliament for a 2/3 majority to change the Constitution. We failed to do it and now we are in self-blockade,” says Pendarovski in the interview.
Regarding European partners, the Macedonian president says he is disappointed with some high-ranking officials, not only in the EU, but also in individual countries. He expected much more from the strongest countries in the EU, which could not convince Bulgaria “to let us enter without these inappropriate conditions”. The US was much more active in this period.
According to Pendarovski, the trust of the Macedonian citizens in the EU has dropped drastically. In the last two years, this support has been cut in half. “Now, if you specifically ask the Macedonians if they would like to join the EU, 80% say “yes”, but if you ask them if this happens on the condition that the Bulgarians are in the Constitution of Macedonia – 80% say “no”, adds Pendarovski .