site.btaNorth Macedonia's President Siljanovska Talks to Bulgarian Media in Sofia

President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova of North Macedonia talked to the Bulgaria media here on Wednesday after the end of the South-East European Cooperation Process Summit.

The guest spoke in English, saying that she would thus understand the questions better.

Asked when her country will amend its basic law to insert the Bulgarians in it, the head of State said that she was not a monarch so as to revise the Constitution and that only the members of Parliament can do so. The MPs represent citizens and vote of their own will. They do not represent the President and she cannot possibly answer on their behalf, Siljanovska-Davkova said. Asked whether she would encourage the MPs to adopt the constitutional amendments, she answered that she is a professor of constitutional law and profoundly respects the principle of separation of powers.

She explained that there are a number of constitutional principles in the EU, which are part of the founding agreements and of the case-law of the EU Court of Justice. According to these principles, the EU respects the national and cultural identity of States and peoples, citizens' dignity and inviolability, and constitutional and political entities. The EU has undertaken to strengthen agreements between Member States and neighbouring countries on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, the President said further.

She drew a comparison between the constitutions of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, noting that, according to provisions of North Macedonia's basic law, each minority or community has the right to instruction in their language in primary and secondary education; it can establish ethnic-based political parties; and it can set up media and cultural institutions.

Siljanovska then quoted the Bulgarian Constitution as banning political parties on an ethnic or religious basis. She also referred to what she called an "anti-discrimination clause" in Bulgaria's Constitution, according to which all citizens are equal, including on the basis of national identification.

According to the Constitution of Bulgaria, "political parties may not be formed on an ethnic, racial, or religious basis, nor [shall it be permissible to form] any parties which make it their object to seize State power by force." Another provision says that "all citizens shall be equal before the law. Neither any abridgement of rights nor any privileges whatsoever shall be admissible on the basis of race, nationality, ethnic identity, sex, origin, religion, education, convictions, political affiliation, personal and social status, or property status."

"North Macedonia's progress towards full European Union membership is in the shared interest of Skopje and Sofia," North Macedonia Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski said earlier in Sofia on Wednesday.