"All expectations of our country for a bad start to the inauguration of the new president of the RSM have come true".
This is what former Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremidchiev told BNT.
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Siljanovska, although she is a lawyer in constitutional law, has apparently gone down the path of sharp confrontation. In my opinion, she simply does not yet realize what position she has taken and what responsibility she bears. It is very likely that her inauguration will be scandalous because it will have to be repeated. According to the constitutionalists, the letter of the law was not observed, which will be a kind of incredible event for the young history of North Macedonia.
If this trend in the actions of the president and the VMRO-DPMNE party that won the elections continues, Bulgaria's reaction should be very calm, Keremidchiev believes.
"Because it is visible that North Macedonia is breaking with its Euro-Atlantic integration. It categorically shows a desire for confrontation, and with the two EU member states that are its neighbors - Bulgaria and Greece. We must be extremely firm and calm. Our dispute at the moment is not with North Macedonia, our conditions are the conditions set by the EC. Meeting these conditions is the key to starting negotiations, so the ball is squarely in their court.
"Unfortunately, we do not have many useful moves against the background of the mood of the Albanian parties and the fact that only three votes separate the winning party from an absolute majority in the RSM parliament.
Serbization in the foreign policy of the RSM, much closer relations with China and Russia and a visible deterioration of relations with the EU, the diplomat also predicted. However, he recalled that the chapter on good neighborly relations and the rule of law was the first to be opened during negotiations with the EU and the last to be closed. Thus, according to him, if from the very first chapter North Macedonia shows disrespect for good neighborly values with Bulgaria and Greece, there is no chance for the negotiations to continue.