VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristiyan Mitskoski received a mandate to form a government from the President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, BGNES reported.
The future prime minister has 20 days to form the cabinet. He promised "in the next 100 days historic and epoch-making reform steps and investments like never before".
Siljanovska said that Mickoski has a strong chance of securing a majority of 61 votes in the 120-seat parliament after VREDI's Afrim Gashi was elected speaker of the Macedonian National Assembly with the support of 76 people.
"It is an honor and a pleasure for me to believe that I am taking a real, legal and political step," said the head of state, after which he handed over the folder with the mandate.
In the parliamentary elections on May 8, VMRO-DPMNE won 58 deputies, the Albanian coalition VREDI/VLEN - 14, and the ZNAM movement - 6 mandates. The three formations will have a majority of 78 seats in the Macedonian National Assembly. Mickoski's party indicated that the new executive would be formed in accordance with constitutional deadlines.
Coalition negotiations
The future prime minister did not want to reveal the proposed names for the new ministries, since "intra-party and intra-coalition talks about its composition begin today".
Hristijan Mickoski said that his "government of reforms" will transform "Macedonia" into a "fairytale and successful European country".
"I am convinced that we will transform Macedonia into a successful, fairy-tale European state that will be a homeland for all citizens, regardless of their ethnic, political affiliation," he said.
"We will have a reformist government that will move the processes forward. We will lead the state and society out of the political swamp of political bickering. There should be no first-class and second-class citizens, but we should all be equal. Diplomacy will defend the interests of the Macedonian family around the world , not personal interests," Mickoski pointed out.
The cabinet will focus on "economic reforms, the fight against corruption, investments, improving living standards, increasing pensions."
The Prespa Agreement
The future prime minister announced that he will not repeat "North" like a parrot when naming his own country "Macedonia".
"Don't expect me like a parrot to use the adjective "North", but behind the curtains to rob you," Mickoski addressed the public.
"As prime minister, I am obliged to respect the law and the Constitution, and here I have not had a dilemma and I will not have as long as these laws and this Constitution are in force. The Prespa Agreement is part of the Constitution and the laws. They cannot demand that it be respected, but on the other hand not to be respected. I expect to build good neighborly relations befitting the 21st century. I have no intention of behaving like the Taliban, no one should behave like the Taliban," said Hristiyan Mitskoski.
The leader of VMRO-DPMNE pointed out that it is good for the position of Greece and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to be "argued" before the NATO summit in Washington in July.
When asked whether bilateral relations with Athens will deteriorate if the Prespa Agreement is not respected, Mickoski replied:
"You will see me with you on the streets, from Chair to Tetovo, through Debar, Struga, Veles, and all the way to Delchevo. Why should I be afraid? Article 7 and paragraph 2 of the Prespa Treaty are very clear. I want to ask the media in Macedonia to pay a little more attention to what our southern neighbor has done since the Agreement. Less provocations to my guaranteed human right to use the term Macedonia, which is my homeland. What have they (Greeks) done for these six years? Let's see what they did in the past? What were we supposed to get when the humiliating name (BRYUM) was used against the (Slobodan) regime in 1999? was a loyal ally and who banned the flyover (of Nato fighter jets)?” Mickoski asked.
The chairman of VMRO-DPMNE said that he "monitors the dangerous game" of the largest Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration /DSI/, and believes that "individuals want to bring ethnic provocations into coexistence in Macedonia". | BGNES