Vajgl: VMRO-DPMNE failed the test of maturity


European Parliament’s Macedonia Rapporteur Ivo Vajgl tells MIA that opposition VMRO-DPMNE has failed the test of maturity at Sunday’s referendum, saying the moves by the party and President Gjorge Ivanov represent an attempt to protect those who broke the law.

“There are a few things that are not quite clear. It seems to me that VMRO-DPMNE wants to protect people who broke the law, under investigation or on trial,” says MEP Vajgl.

According to him, the EU believes that such issues must remain in the hands of the judiciary, because “corruption, breaking the laws and violence in the Parliament cannot be swept aside.

The MEP regrets that the opposition and President Ivanov put partisan interests before the ones of the country.

“VMRO-DPMNE has failed the test of maturity and the efforts by the party and the president cannot be justified by opportunist arguments that refer only to power relations in politics and not the country’s future. When we drafted the Przino Agreement all parties pledged to put their interests in the background, committing themselves to the country’s future,” says Vajgl.

He believes that PM Zaev has the legitimacy to push for constitutional changes in the Parliament, putting the focus on those saying ‘Yes’ at the referendum, not the ones who failed to vote.

“The fact that more than ninety percent of people showed up to have a say on the country’s future is binding,” says Vajgl.

The EP Macedonia Rapporteur notes that the option of early elections is not the most desirable for the EU, but remains a legitimate democratic tool.

“I believe there is a lot of time for both (constitutional changes and elections) and that the timelines before the Greek government need to also be taken into consideration, because everything should be completed within the term of the current authorities. I am still an optimist that everything will turn out well for Macedonia,” underlines Vajgl.