Debate on Reform Agenda and Growth Plan Held in Parliament

At a debate on the Reform Agenda and Growth Plan, held in Parliament on Tuesday, Speaker Afrim Gashi said there was no alternative to EU membership.

As he pointed out, he will get committed to assumed obligations and draft-laws that will be submitted to the legislative house. However, Gashi stated that the pre-election rhetoric shouldn’t have the advantage over reason.

“Precisely due to this, we must demonstrate maturity and vision. European integration should be the topic that unites the lines of all political actors”, the Speaker underlined.

VMRO-DPMNE MP Antonijo Milososki agreed with Gashi. “The pre-election period will sometimes bring more politicisation of criticism instead of quality of its. However, as MPs, we should be critical, in a founded manner, to increase the executive power’s productivity”, he underlined.

On his part, SDSM MP and leader Venko Filipce, called for unification for the integration process.

“A lot of geostrategic shifts are happening. New centres of power are being differentiated. We should remain strongly connected to our strategic partner, the US, but also the EU”, he pointed out.

The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, Ben Nupnau, called for resolute action by the Government and Parliament with regards to reforms, as well as for dialogue of all political actors.

He described the Growth Plan and Reform Agenda as a tool to prepare North Macedonia for membership, saying they were not a substitute for integration. The debate was attended also by Vladimir Drobnjak, who was Croatia’s chief negotiator on that country’s EU path. His stand is that enlargement in 2030 is a real and attainable scenario.