The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, stated that it would be good to change the constitution for the first time, and not as the tenth time without result, but with obligations. “Now we have to change our constitution again. What is the need for change? In our preamble, in our constitution, we must include a small Bulgarian minority. It is about several hundred citizens, I am very precise. We are not talking about several hundred thousand, we are talking about something between 800 and 900 citizens who say they are part of the Bulgarian community.”
He made this statement during the European summit dedicated to the European Union (EU) in Salzburg.
In his speech, he added that because of the postponement of EU membership, frustration among citizens is growing and there is a feeling that “we have been betrayed by European values”.
“And now I have to stand before my citizens and say: Look, dear citizens, my students, we have to change the constitution again. I’m sorry for your wounds from the last constitutional change, but you know it’s normal. No one can understand us. We are a small nation in the heart of the Balkans, landlocked, and we have to take this step if we want to start negotiations,” Mickoski pointed out.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia also spoke about the Macedonian community in Bulgaria.
“Trust me, we’re not talking about a hundred. We are talking about tens of thousands of people. Are someone’s human rights being violated and that’s why we have to do it, again and again? Who are we politicians to judge whether someone’s rights have been violated?” said Hristiyan Mitkoski.
According to him, there is an institution in Europe that can decide whether someone’s rights have been violated, and that is the European Court of Human Rights, bTV reported.
“And what has the court decided over the years? 14 times in favor of the Macedonian community in Bulgaria and zero times for the Bulgarian community in Macedonia,” said the Prime Minister of North Macedonia.