North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister and current OSCE chair Bujar Osmani is presently in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, where he granted an interview to Voice of America. In the interview, he discussed the country’s internal political developments and the challenges it faces in its quest for European Union integration.
Voice of America: Recent changes to the Penal Code and a draft law on amnesty have generated extensive debates and criticism within North Macedonia. Critics argue that these changes aim to absolve former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of charges and release individuals they describe as “criminals” closely connected to the government. President Stevo Pendarovski has even stated that some politicians had previously requested amnesty for Mr. Gruevski. How do you respond to these criticisms?
Bujar Osmani: The changes to the Penal Code are not related to any form of amnesty but are part of the Europeanization process of North Macedonia’s penal system. It is somewhat paradoxical that those criticizing these changes are the same individuals questioning the effectiveness of the rule of law. The effectiveness of the system resulted from the previous rigid Yugoslav-style penal system in North Macedonia, which was harsh, draconian, and inflexible. As this system failed to yield results, allowing cases to drag on and decisions to be delayed due to its rigidity, the Ministry of Justice… as you’ve heard, experts in the field have mentioned that we have now adopted the best European experiences, mainly from Germany and Slovenia, to create a more flexible penal system focused on property confiscation acquired unlawfully. This allows courts to make quicker and more effective decisions. Therefore, I believe these changes should not be connected to amnesty in any way. Perhaps these changes coincide with discussions on constitutional amendments, creating such parallels. Still, in reality, there are none because these changes to the Penal Code will not impact the release of anyone mentioned.
Voice of America: Mr. Osmani, your party, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), has announced its willingness to relinquish government positions solely to pass constitutional amendments. What are the chances of these amendments being passed when it is known that, without the votes of the opposition, the necessary two-thirds majority (80 votes) cannot be achieved in parliament?
Bujar Osmani: North Macedonia stands at a critical crossroads for its future. The decision we make, whether to adopt constitutional amendments or not, will determine North Macedonia’s European perspective. Will we join the group of countries with open bilateral issues that need resolution before restarting European integration, or will we immediately embark on an accelerated path to EU integration, a result of the new geopolitical context? Major decisions are expected in December regarding Ukraine and the Western Balkans. This is a historic moment, and we must understand its significance. We must realize that the EU occasionally opens its doors during specific periods, and only those willing can move forward. Therefore, it is essential to take responsibility and make constitutional changes, seizing this crucial geopolitical and historical moment to expedite EU integration. We’ve decided on conditional resignations to communicate to all political actors that this is not the time for political bargaining or partisan interests. It’s a time to rise above our daily political interests, make a strategic agreement among ourselves, and secure our European future, as that will ensure prosperity and encourage people to stay in North Macedonia and plan their lives here.
Voice of America: You mentioned potential consequences, but if the constitutional amendments, a condition set by the EU for continuing North Macedonia’s negotiations with the bloc, are not adopted, your country could be separated from Albania in this process. What would this mean for North Macedonia?
Bujar Osmani: While I don’t believe Albania should be held hostage to North Macedonia’s European path, separation from the package with Albania would be unfortunate. North Macedonia would then enter the group of countries with open bilateral issues that need resolution, missing the opportunity for these countries to become EU members in this decade. We don’t know when a new situation will arise that increases EU member states’ awareness of Western Balkan countries’ accession. Therefore, I believe resistance against constitutional amendments is a significant issue. Additionally, rejecting constitutional amendments directly harms North Macedonia’s state interest. We wanted to shift the debate with the Republic of Bulgaria from historical and identity issues to minority and human rights issues. Constitutional amendments represent the paradigm of this approach and trajectory of political discourse with the Republic of Bulgaria. Not approving constitutional amendments would return us to the debate on historical and identity issues, which is not in North Macedonia’s interest.
Voice of America: Mr. Osmani, your party has been accused of involvement in awarding a tender of around 1.8 million euros to a company closely associated with DUI, which would renovate a sports hall in Skopje for hosting the OSCE end-of-year conference. How do you respond to these accusations by VMRO-DPMNE?
Bujar Osmani: I believe these accusations are part of political theater, with the underlying motive of “throwing mud at the opponent, as something may eventually stick”. This damages the state’s image at a time when we are organizing the largest-ever OSCE ministers’ conference in North Macedonia. There is absolutely no substance to these accusations. All institutions are currently verifying them, and everything is following established procedures. I have said that this is part of a propaganda campaign initiated by the opposition to tarnish political opponents, without considering that it harms the state and its international image.
Voice of America: Given that you argue that these accusations are part of “political theater”, have you provided data and evidence to demonstrate that these accusations against you are unfounded?
Bujar Osmani: Absolutely, yes. All competent institutions are currently verifying these accusations upon my request. I have requested that all competent institutions investigate these allegations not for any ulterior motive but to reach conclusions as soon as possible because it concerns the state’s image. It involves the largest conference in North Macedonia’s history. I have been the one inviting these institutions because this propaganda campaign against everything we are doing, which also concerns Albanians in North Macedonia, has truly escalated to the level of political warfare. Therefore, the only way to address this is through competent institutions, and I believe they will soon deliver their findings.
