The leader of North Macedonia’s opposition SDSM party, Venko Filipce, has called for a referendum on whether the country should continue its path toward European Union membership, arguing that citizens must directly decide the issue rather than political leaders.
Speaking at a press conference, Filipce said the public should determine “whether they want to pay the price for the criminal policy of Hristijan Mickoski,” referring to the prime minister, whom he accuses of blocking the country’s EU accession process. He added that citizens must be given the chance to decide “whether they want to pay the price for policies that keep the country outside the EU.”
Filipce urged the government to hold a nationwide vote, saying “Call a referendum, ask the citizens. You cannot decide the fate of everyone who lives in the country.” His remarks came in response to statements from Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski that Skopje would not make further concessions in order to advance EU negotiations and was prepared to bear the consequences of that stance.
He also accused the government of misleading the public and shifting responsibility for the stalled EU process. According to Filipce, “Two questions arise: what are these concessions and who will pay the price?” He claimed the burden would fall on ordinary citizens rather than political elites, adding that “this gang in power simply does not know how to govern the state.”
