PES president Sergei Stanishev said:
‘A remarkable number of Macedonians went to the polls yesterday to support the deal that will allow for EU and NATO membership negotiations. The context of this referendum was a very difficult one, with a terribly irresponsible boycott from the VMRO – DPMNE party, an EPP member, and a large-scale disinformation campaign. The result of the pro-EU camp has a lot of merit. The country needs to seize this historic opportunity before it is gone for another generation’.
‘The PES commends Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his social democratic party – our member party SDSM – for the good campaign they run. The 90% yes vote from those who went to the polling stations is a big success and an indication of the will of the citizens. But the obscene nationalism displayed by the VMRO-DPMNE Party could be lethal for the European future of the country’.
‘We encourage the government majority and the Macedonian parliament in full to continue to work for a name change that will clear the European and NATO path for the country and prevent future diplomatic isolation’.
