site.btaPendarovski: If Majority for Constitutional Amendments Is Not Secured by End-2023, Let Next Parliament Decide

North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski Thursday said that he does not believe the two political blocs in Parliament will come eye to eye to secure the majority needed to pass the amendments to the country's constitution. "We are no closer to 80 [MPs] today than we were 2 or 12 months ago. We have lost precious time which could have been spent on other matters. This topic was all over the news and current affairs talk shows because we, as politicians, provided it to you. I really think we wasted time on a matter which is harmless in its nature," Pendarovski said in a Telma TV interview.

In his words, it is clear what including Bulgarian in the Constitution would mean. There already are seven nations in the Constitution; so what if they become 12, he asked. "Instead of prioritizing our issues, we have been dealing only with Bulgaria for almost a year and a half," he added.

According to him, North Macedonia should not back down because of how challenging it is to bridge the gap between differing positions. Pendarovski stressed that he will make every effort to get the constitutional amendments through as soon as possible.

“Then again, if we don't have the chance of securing a two-thirds majority, if we assume that we can't do it today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow... by the end of the year, let's put it aside and let the ones who win the next parliamentary elections deal with this matter,” Pendarovski added.

Amendments to North Macedonia's basic law to include Bulgarians are a condition set in the country's negotiating framework with the EU that has to be met for North Macedonia to start opening negotiating chapters. Garnering the necessary votes to pass the amendments in parliament requires the VMRO-DPMNE opposition party to back the bill, but they are against with the argument that the revisions are being imposed by Bulgaria. 

"It's always easier to sell a nationalist narrative than a more moderate one. If I decide to use a nationalist narrative and speak against Albanians, Bulgarians, or be anti-American and so on, I can win 700,000 votes in any election", Pendarovski pointed out.

He recalled former prime minister Zoran Zaev's attempts to acquaint the opposition with the proposal for the Prespa Agreement with Greece, which were met with denial. "One of the most vocal MPs at that sitting is now saying that the Prespa Agreement is a reality and people should make no mistake thinking that it can be changed. This is a double standard - you say one thing to your electorate and the public, wait until you come to power and then you are willing to agree with anything, both to [changing the country's name to] North Macedonia and [including] Bulgarians in the Constitution. This is a party interest, not a state and strategic one," Pendarovski added.