Prespes agreement challenged in North Macedonia pre-election debate
The leader of the main opposition party in North Macedonia has said that if elected prime minister, he would refer to the country solely as “Macedonia,” regardless of the 2018 Prespes Agreement that settled the dispute with Greece over the country’s name.
During a televised debate Wednesday ahead of parliamentary elections that are expected on May 8, Dimitar Kovacevski, leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM), expressed concerns over right-wing party VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski’s refusal to use the country’s constitutional name.
Kovacevski said this refusal could pose problems with the 2018 Prespes Agreement, which, with UN backing, changed the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia.
“For me, Macedonia is and will remain Macedonia. My ancestors would be proud of me for what I do for my people and my country,” Mickoski underlined.
Recent polls indicate VMRO-DPMNE’s lead in the upcoming parliamentary elections, which coincide with the country’s second round of presidential elections, where the current president and SDSM candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, will face VMRO-DPMNE’s Gordana Siljanovska.
