Current leader of VMRO-DPMNE Nikola Gruevski won the fourth term and in the next four years will be at the helm of the party after today’s vote of the delegates of the 15th Congress held in Kumanovo.
As President of the Commission for conducting the elections for party chairman Ilija Dimovski informed, of total of 560 delegates, 529 voted, of which 528 voted “for” and one ballot was invalid.
In his address to delegates, following the announcement of re-election, Gruevski stressed that the purpose of VMRO-DPMNE under his leadership will be “European Macedonia”.
– We have a common goal, we work together, our goal is a strong, successful and prosperous Macedonia. Our goal is a European Macedonia. Our goal is a country with low unemployment and higher living standards, happier pensioner, a country of free citizens with plenty of choices and chances for success – said Gruevski.
Today he also spoke about the opposition and its activities.
According to him, the opposition relies its entire political agenda on the word “freedom,” but it just abused the term for the exercise of its interests, and “this story is accepted by some countries in the international community as a tool to pressure, each starting of its own interests.”
– Someone who should not be talking about freedom and democracy in the country is the opposition. This may sound like blasphemy to someone, but the opposition is the most undemocratic factor in the country, not only because of recent developments, but due to a philosophy of behavior that our opposition has in the last 20 years. It is incorporated in the party and is free to only one sentence: they say, when they are in power, there is freedom, when they are not in power, then there is no freedom. I would argue that there is freedom and democracy, and that much more than some other countries. But the point is how we, and how SDSM, understand freedom – said Gruevski.
Making a retrospective of previous projects, VMRO-DPMNE president and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, as priorities in future work pointed to economic projects, attracting foreign investment, infrastructural projects.
As an obligation and “unfinished business,” he pointed out education, and criticized the high school and university students’ protests against government reforms.
– In developed, successful and economically strong countries, with quality and educated labor force, there is no discussion about whether the evaluations of faculty should be obtained by teaching or not. In such countries, there are no high school protests that ask graduation exam not to be taken electronically in the 21st century. Therefore, I expressed disappointment, not so much by students, but part of their short-sighted parents who stood behind the children supposed to not bother with mathematics. Moreover, I was also disappointed by parents who supported the protests of children, not because they believe their request is right, but because it is a political option opposite of us – said Gruevski.
