Original title: Nikoloski: VMRO-DPMNE has been actively working with the Visegrad 4 countries in the past period to prevent the condition of history entering the EU conclusions
Political entities from VMRO-DPMNE use the situation of the European integration process of North Macedonia, to manipulate the public in a direction that suits the party. While the anti-EU narrative was developed with a sold/lost identity, language and history, this time the party’s vice president Aleksandar Nikoloski “exclusively” presents inaccurate information in which he “appropriates” the credit for the Czech Republic and Slovakia’s veto on the conclusions on the progress of the West Balkans – EU enlargement process.
The Vice President of VMRO-DPMNE, Aleksandar Nikoloski, in a guest appearance on the show Stadion on Kanal 77 on December 19th, exclusively states that VMRO-DPMNE worked with the four countries of Visegrad 4 (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland) to prevent the condition that history entered the conclusions of the European Union. In those 4 governments, they had great friends, so the reaction of the Czech Republic and Slovakia is not accidental.
Commenting on the veto by the Czech Republic and Slovakia on the conclusions on enlargement to the European Union, he said that the reaction of these two countries was coordinated. At the same time, he points out that in the past period, VMRO-DPMNE actively informed their friends about what is happening to Macedonia. He adds that the Czech Republic and Slovakia are bigger patriots than Zoran Zaev.
“This group Visegrad 4 is a big supporter of EU enlargement, but it is also a big supporter of Macedonia, and VMRO-DPMNE has great friends there, starting with the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, through the Prime Minister of Poland, Morawiecki, continuing with the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovakia “, said Nikoloski.
Nikolovski’s “exclusive news” was immediately broadcasted online. It was published by the portals Kurir, MMS, Local, Makedonski Vesnik, Netpress, Mak Press, Akcent.mk, Skopje1.mk, Republika, Observer.
But the “merit” that VMRO-DPMNE appropriated for itself lasted only a short time. Nikolovski’s “information” or “exclusive news” was denied by the Ambassador of Slovakia, Henrik Markus, and the Deputy Ambassador of the Czech Republic, Lubomir Pshenka. In a joint statement, they said there was no entity from North Macedonia that influenced Bratislava and Prague’s decisions to block the EU Council’s draft enlargement conclusions.
“The Czech Republic and Slovakia have clearly stated the circumstances that prevented them from agreeing with the draft conclusions of the Council. This was done through a joint statement of the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Unfortunately, certain entities from North Macedonia began to spread inaccurate information that they influenced the decisions of Prague and Bratislava related to the processes in the EU itself. Neither Czech nor Slovak diplomacy is aware of lobbying efforts by some entities that could influence the decision-making process in Prague and Bratislava.
If such efforts existed, such activities did not reach the relevant actors, i.e., decision-makers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. “The decisions of Ministers Petricek and Korcok were made without any influence from an entity from North Macedonia.”
