SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
Expectedly, the Q&A session in Parliament, held on Thursday, the first since the election of the new government, was marked by fierce accusations between the opposition’s representatives and PM Hristijan Mickoski over numerous topics.
SDSM MP and leader Venko Filipce criticised Mickoski especially over the country’s EU path, saying again the government had no plan. Also, he accused the PM of taking a U-turn on the use of the new constitutional name.
“You would say you would return the mandate if you ever used the adjective ‘North’. Well, feel free to do so, PM, here’s the chance,” Filipce stressed.
In response, the PM said if SDSM wanted to, he was ready for early parliamentary elections to be held simultaneously with the local polls, scheduled for October 2025, adding nonetheless that SDSM should be careful because it would regret things if that took place. When it comes to the EU path, the PM stated that there was work which would produce results. He called on SDSM to support the fight to “defend Macedonia’s strategic interests”.
Filipce also asked whether the contract with Bechtel ENKA for the Corridors would be declassified. In response, the PM said efforts were underway to do that. However, he also stated that during the previous cabinet’s term, 350 million dollars had been spent, but not a single “millimetre” was constructed.
Regarding Bojan Hristovski, the SDSM MP and leader showed what he said were documents received from whistle-blowers about his illegal appointment as the Director of the Agency for National Security. In response, the PM stated that the Agency shouldn’t be a topic that was debated publicly, adding that institutions needed to look into the allegations against Hristovski.
Also, regarding Filipce’s comments about the TOEFL certificate of the Agency head, the PM took out a folder containing “similar English certificates of directors appointed by SDSM”, saying he would hand them over to Interior Minister Toskovski.
Filipce had also raised suspicions as to whether Hristovski met the main condition, five-year length of service at managerial positions. The PM said that during their time in power, SDSM and DUI, had been illegally following him, as the opposition leader, by using drones.
“There will be liability for all those operational-technical states. That’s why those that were sitting down and giving the orders are the ones that are afraid,” he noted.
The Energy, Mining, and Mineral Raw Materials Minister Sanja Bozinovska Bulgarian citizenship issue was among the topics, too. SDSM MP Oliver Spasovski stated asked Mickoski whether he would dismiss her because she’d lied to the public about her citizenship. Spasovski also presented what SDSM said was the document signed by the Minister in which she declared that she had Bulgarian self-awareness.
“Sanja Bozinovska is a much greater Macedonian than all of you combined,” Mickoski said in response, adding that the public was not interested in the topics being raised by SDSM because the Minister’s results in the field of energy “are something you can dream about”.
DUI MP Blerim Bexheti asked the PM about the Constitutional Court and vetting issues.
“Vetting is DUI’s stand, but what’s behind the curtain is the notebook in Mala Recica from where the decisions come,” he stressed, adding that judicial reforms were starting that would “free” courts and prosecutor’s offices.
“The judicial situation is alarming. Believe me when I say that this government will soon make a step that will make everyone proud and that will be noted in the next progress report of the European Commission,” Mickoski underlined.
The PM also said he had texts from high members of DUI in which they had said that their party was ready to join the government even if that meant getting half of the positions currently held by VLEN representatives. In response, Ali Ahmeti’s party said Mickoski was making up things, urging him to make public his whole communication with it.
Regarding ethnic relations, the PM stated the government didn’t divide citizens along ethnic lines. Also, he said allegations that the cabinet was worsening the interethnic situation because it had no legitimacy were unfounded.
“Even the European Commission finds progress in ethnic relations,” he underlined.
Levica MP and leader Dimitar Apasiev asked questions too. The PM, however, said he was lying when he’d said that several institutions’ names had been changed since VMRO-DPMNE had come to power.
“The Prespa Agreement doesn’t prohibit anywhere the use of the adjective ‘Macedonian’ and word ‘Macedonia’. It’s true that both we and them have the right to use the adjective ‘Macedonian’,” the PM stressed.
