Sunday

10th Dec 2023

Interview

North Macedonia warns EU on 'dirtiest ever' election

  • North Macedonian prime minister Oliver Spasovski (l) with EU Council president Charles Michel in Brussels (Photo: consilium.europa.e)

North Macedonia is heading for its "dirtiest ever" election, its prime minister has warned, as Europhiles prepare to take on nationalists.

"I'm sure that this election campaign will be one of the dirtiest parliamentary elections so far in North Macedonia. I'm sure that fake news and media propaganda will be part of day-to-day life during the elections," Oliver Spasovski told EUobserver in Brussels on Tuesday (18 February).

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

He spoke after MPs in Skopje recently chose 12 April for a snap vote in the wake of an EU snub on enlargement.

A French veto on opening accession talks prompted its pro-EU leader, Zoran Zaev, to resign and for Spasovski, a 43-year old former interior minister, to take over as caretaker leader in January.

But despite the dirty games and other "hybrid threats", North Macedonia can deliver a free and fair vote Spasovski, whose task is to ensure the legitimacy of the election, also said.

"The Republic of North Macedonia has the capacity to organise democratic, fair, and free elections that would allow the citizens to decide which way the country should go," he said.

When asked if Russia might try to interfere in the outcome, the prime minister added: "All the countries in Europe, all the countries in the region, in their process of accession to Nato and the EU have been faced by these kinds of hybrid threats".

"But the state institutions are strong enough and they're prepared to ensure the elections are conducted under normal circumstances," Spasovski added.

He also urged the EU to open accession talks before the North Macedonian vote was held.

"We did everything that was requested of us as a government [by the EU], and it's very important for us to have this message sent out, especially in March," he said, referring to an EU summit next month.

"Timing is of utmost importance to us in order to put a stop to the uncertainty [on North Macedonia's EU future] that might appear in the country, but also in the region," he also said.

The EU snub on enlargement "contributed to a return of nationalist rhetoric" in North Macedonia, Spasovski added.

"The decision was a ... strategic mistake and contributed to disappointment among ordinary people," he said.

The 12 April vote will see Zaev and Spasovski's pro-EU Social Democrats clash with the VMRO-DPNA party of former prime minister Nikola Gruevski.

Gruevski fled to Hungary last year after being convicted of corruption and after erecting nationalist monuments in Skopje.

The VMRO-DPNA has also said it supports EU and Nato membership.

But its policies, such as abolishing the North Macedonia-Greece name deal demanded by the EU, did not bear that out, Spasovski said.

And the opposition party had learned little from the scandals of Gruevski's time in office, Spasovski added.

"We have two opposing concepts - the first one offers integration in the EU and Nato, prosperity, freedom, transparency, democracy, and ... the opposing concept is contrary to everything I just said and that's supported by the current opposition [VMRO-DPNA]," the caretaker prime minister said.

"It hasn't done anything to change since the time of 'Gruevism' ... this Gruevsim, this concept, is still deeply rooted in their activities," Spasovski said.

"Not making the right decisions at the right time only stimulates Gruevism and this kind of thinking among people, because people don't believe in the European perspective in such circumstances," Spasovski said, referring to the timing of the EU accession talks decision.

EU fails to deliver on Albania and North Macedonia

Denmark, France and the Netherlands opposed opening talks on EU accession with Albania and North Macedonia in a blow that may invite greater Russian influence in the Balkan region.

Opinion

North Macedonia's EU accession talks — a 'rotten deal'

One would think that for a country waiting 21 years to start accession talks with the EU, the opportunity to finally do it would be cause for all around festivities and national celebration — instead, for days now, mass protests.

Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies

Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.

Opinion

Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence

What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.

Opinion

Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?

Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Latest News

  1. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  2. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
  3. Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
  4. How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
  5. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  6. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  7. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  8. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us