EditMickoski secures third term as VMRO-DPMNE leader amid renewed tensions
The ruling party adopts “Macedonia 2030”, rejecting commitments like those in the Prespa Agreement or the 2022 EU deal on constitutional amendments
Hristijan Mickoski was unanimously re-elected leader of North Macedonia’s ruling VMRO-DPMNE at the party’s 18th congress, held in the city of Kavadarci, where delegates also adopted the strategic platform “Macedonia 2030”. Mickoski, who ran unopposed, received the full support of the 804 delegates who cast ballots, securing what the party statute defines as his third and final term as president.
The results were formally announced by Zorancho Jovanchev, president of the Electoral Commission, who confirmed that 804 of the 817 present delegates voted and that all supported Mickoski. The outcome underscored what the leadership described as internal cohesion and political stability at a moment when the country faces uncertainty in its EU accession process.
Following his re-election, Mickoski thanked the delegates for their confidence and presented “Macedonia 2030” as the political roadmap that will guide VMRO-DPMNE and the government over the coming years. He stressed that the party’s priority would be tangible improvements in citizens’ daily lives, raising living standards and ensuring equal opportunities for the younger generation based on merit and competence.
A substantial portion of Mickoski’s speech focused on the stalled negotiations with Bulgaria and the wider impasse affecting North Macedonia’s EU path. Mickoski argued that the key issue was not merely whether Bulgarians would be included in the Constitution, but whether such changes would put an end to further conditions.
He warned that constant additional requirements risked turning North Macedonia into a “new experiment” after already changing its name twice, altering its flag and documents, and amending its Constitution multiple times. According to him, the European Union “does not seem prepared” to facilitate the process, primarily due to its own internal problems. If, however, no one questioned the country’s historical identity or the Macedonian language, and if future bilateral vetoes were not expected, then citizens deserved new, clear conclusions from the European Council, he said.
Commission chief tells Skopje: You need to make the agreed constitutional change
“We face serious challenges,” Mickoski said, adding that although North Macedonia sought a fair settlement with Bulgaria, “there seems to be no interlocutor on the other side”.
Bulgaria says there is nothing to discuss bilaterally, as the constitutional change is a EU condition.
Unlike previous governments, he insisted on knowing precisely what the country and its citizens would gain from any agreement. The EU remained the strategic goal, he said, but domestic issues required immediate attention to ensure a viable future for all communities in the country.
Mickoski also underlined that North Macedonia would not move “even a millimetre” until the last letter of international agreements and previous judgments of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the Macedonian community in Bulgaria were respected. He described this as a fundamental precondition and insisted that these decisions must be implemented consistently.
Since 2001, Bulgaria has been condemned several times by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for refusing to register the separatist Macedonist organisation. The Court has ruled that the authorities should not have obstructed the peaceful gatherings of “OMO Ilinden” and “OMO Ilinden-Pirin”, even though the Constitutional Court had found that the groups promoted separatist ideas and posed a threat to national security.
The Strasbourg judges held that any threat to democracy was merely hypothetical as long as no violent methods were used. The ECHR has consistently stated that even the risk of separatism is permissible if the parties advocating it operate strictly within the principles of peaceful political activity.
Mickoski added that the country must avoid any “new betrayal” and warned that future governments should not be able to alter identity-related commitments. VMRO-DPMNE, he argued, must secure a settlement that establishes clear red lines which no future political actor could cross “with soft smiles and malicious intent”.
The congress took place against the backdrop of refusal of VMRO-DPMNE to implement the June 2022 EU-mediated arrangements, according to which, to advance towards opening negotiation clusters, the country must adopt constitutional changes that explicitly include Bulgarians among the communities recognised in the Constitution. The latest European Commission Enlargement Report reiterates this requirement.
The country is also obliged to respect its 2017 Friendship Treaty with Bulgaria and the protocol signed at the second joint intergovernmental conference. This document commits Skopje to holding the next EU accession conference only after including Bulgarians among the state-forming peoples in its Constitution, while also affirming that the Constitution cannot be interpreted as grounds for interference in Bulgaria’s internal affairs. It also contains obligations related to curbing anti-Bulgarian hate speech, rehabilitating victims of past political repression, and opening archives of the former Yugoslav services.
Yet another assault on a Bulgarian in North Macedonia heightens tensions
Greetings
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the congress in a video message, praising VMRO-DPMNE as “one of the most successful political parties in Europe” after its recent victories in parliamentary, local and presidential elections. He urged delegates to continue supporting Mickoski and wished the party strength in its future governing responsibilities.
Orbán and Mickoski maintain close political ties. Following his inauguration, Mickoski approved two loans of €500 million each from Hungary, though the funds originate from a €1 billion credit extended to Budapest by a consortium of Chinese banks in 2024. Hungary has long sheltered former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, Mickoski’s political mentor, who is sanctioned under the U.S. Magnitsky Act and was convicted in Skopje.
Hungary also finances media outlets in North Macedonia known for strong anti-Bulgarian narratives. Orbán remains a supporter of the government in Skopje and of Corridor 10, the strategic transport route linking Greek ports with Skopje, Belgrade and Budapest.
Sources: IBNA, BGNES, edited by k.n.
Caption: North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, leader of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, speaks to the media as preliminary results of the second round of local elections were released in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 2 November 2025.
Updated: December 8, 2025 - 06:43
