Today, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, during his traditional New Year’s speech, called on the people to stop the rhetoric of division into patriots and traitors and asked for forgiveness, reconciliation and responsibility.
Ivanov said he would never agree for Macedonia to be a bi-national or federal state. He urged politicians not to think about post-election bargaining over national interests, and asked the new government that they protect the unitary character of the country.
“Some party leaders have tried to auction canonization, federalization, the name of the country, they are putting state interests up for . I will never agree for Macedonia to be a binational state, or a federal state. Nobody has a mandate to reshape the country. Macedonia is a unitary state with a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multilingual society”, said Ivanov.
Ivanov also called for a stop on the attacks on foreign diplomatic representatives, and at the same time, he also urged them to be careful regarding their own actions. He called upon the European Union to stop blocking Macedonia’s membership because it has affected the internal politics of the country.
As for the Special Prosecutor’s Office, Ivanov said it was politicized and that it acts selectively, with blackmail from political opponents.
President Ivanov said that we live in a “weak” Macedonia, quarreling on any grounds, and that there is nothing more tragic than an internal-collision in Macedonia.
Ivanov called for an inventory from the new government, and the leadership of SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE were called for a national reconciliation and to unite to meet Macedonian interests. Ivanov called on the six leaders of the parliamentary parties to show responsibility and to sign a binding declaration of commitment to the Euro-Atlantic agenda as soon as possible .
“There are two things holding us back, revenge and divisions. I urge you all to leave this behind us. This is a tough decision because you have to forgive the harsh words, the slander, and it requires humility that characterizes responsible people. Without this, we can not hope for prosperity and success. Let’s stop this rhetoric of patriots and traitors. With each word and insult, our children will be left with only quarrels and divisions”, said Ivanov.
