SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
Leader of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski commented in an interview for Sitel TV on the demands of several VMRO-DPMNE members for his resignation from the top position of the party, as well as the party activities following the 2020 parliamentary election. “I think the people demanding my resignation do not deserve response or reaction, for it is because of them that Zoran Zaev wreaks havoc around Macedonia. They brought VMRO-DPMNE to the very bottom in 2017, and after I took over, they demand my resignation. These people are the remainder of the burden that VMRO-DPMNE is about to release itself from. And how can we speak of electoral defeat, when VMRO-DPMNE won 44 mandates at the election while SDSM by itself won only 32? I really want to stand up to principles, but I also must respect the will of the central committee of VMRO-DPMNE and the majority of members which trust me, so a resignation of mine at the moment would be an act of cowardice. When it comes to the formation of a parliamentary majority and a new government, I still cannot make comments because the processes are still developing, and we are still in the stage of informal negotiations between parties. I can only say that VMRO-DPMNE and I are ready to negotiate with any party, no matter their ethnic character, but we will never accept blackmail or conditions which would make us cross our red lines. We conducted some informal talks with DUI as well, but the idea for first-ever ethnic Albanian as PM of Macedonia was not on the table. I also do not believe that a broader alliance between VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM is possible. Information that reached me reveals that some of our MPs are offered numerous benefits, like money, real estates, or even closing of judicial cases against them or their relatives only to cross over to SDSM’s side, and I must say that I am seriously disgusted with this, and at the same time pleased to know that none of our MPs accepted those offers,” Mickoski said.
