The changes in the constitution will not solve the problem, but will only deepen it. believes the presidential candidate nominated by VMRO-DPMNE Gordana Siljanovska in the first televised debate with Stevo Pendarovski, supported by SDSM, BTA reported.
In her words, VMRO-DPMNE accepts the negotiation framework, but not changes to the constitution “in this way”. Siljanovska again developed her thesis for “a different good-neighborly interpretation of the treaty with Bulgaria”, in which the veto would be used only in relation to the Copenhagen criteria.
Pendarovski insisted that his opponent indicate the way in which North Macedonia will continue on its European path, given that “if the country wants to continue negotiations with the EU, constitutional changes must be made”
„With this attitude of the current opposition, if it comes to power tomorrow, and even if it remains in opposition, with the necessary two-thirds of the votes in the parliament for constitutional changes, by 2050 we will not be able to become members of the EU . You think you will be able from the position of a non-EU member to condition those who are members to do this (change the negotiating framework). We are talking about real politics, not about legal interpretations in a cabinet,”, Pendarovski stated.
The conditions for possible cooperation in the formation of a government after the elections, which the Albanian parties set, the honor of which is a vote on the changes in the constitution, were also a topic in the TV 21 debate between Pendarovski and Siljanovska.
According to Siljanovska, the conditions of the Albanian parties are “extremely unusual”, as “the conditions are usually set by those who have the capacity to form a government”.
„If someone makes a political scenario for constitutional changes in advance, he denies and replaces the parliament, and with it the parliamentary democracy. It is known who brought the constitutional changes. Prejudging the result, however, has nothing to do with parliamentary democracy," said Siljanovska.
Stevo Pendarovski, for her part, stated that her position is completely opposite to the call of the chairman of VMRO-DPMNE for a coalition with the Albanian opposition, which he made even before the elections.
„Mickoski says vote for our candidate if you want to go into government. Why didn't you set it as a condition after the elections, on the evening of May 8?”, asked Pendarovski.
The first televised debate between the two was sharp and emotional, it did not lack mutual attacks, including regarding the qualities of the two presidential candidates, who on May 8 will face each other for the second time in the second round of presidential elections in the country . In 2019, the second round of the presidential elections was won by Stevo Pendarovski, on May 8 of this year, however, Gordana Siljanovska enters the runoff with a serious lead of over 180 thousand votes over Pendarovski.