President Stevo Pendarovski says he doesn’t agree with ethnic origin being included in identity documents, noting that it is not a practice in democratic countries around the world.
“If the ruling coalition comes to an agreement, and if there’s majority to adopt the bill in regular procedure, I don’t have any significant arguments against not signing the bill into law. But, personally, I’m against ethnic origin in IDs. There is no such practice in democratic countries worldwide. I don’t think that if the bill is adopted it will break the country apart, but I don’t agree with this detail being included in IDs,” he says, reiterating he will sign the bill into law anyway.
In an interview with the portal Mkd.mk, Pendarovski says the country should have found other sources to provide COVID-19 vaccines in addition to the COVAX facility.
“We must not focus solely on COVAX and be interested in nothing else, because we will be the last ones in the region without a vaccination campaign,” he says, adding he would probably receive the shot after the top priority category, made of medical professionals.
Pendarovski stresses that politicians shouldn’t have the privilege to be one of the first to be vaccinated. “I want to receive the shot publicly in order to eliminate doubts some people might have, like anti-vaxxers who don’t believe in vaccines,” he tells Mkd.mk.
Furthermore, according to the head of state, rule of law in the country isn’t at the level of mature European democracies. “It is noted by the European Commission in its annual reports.”
“As regards the functioning of institutions, the judiciary, and the major systems in the country, we have issues undoubtedly. But, the state of play now, including in the judiciary, is much better compared to 5 years ago or 10 years ago,” Pendarovski states.
Commenting on the dispute between Skopje and Sofia, the President thinks it’s best to work on issues on the sidelines until Bulgaria holds its parliamentary elections.
“Until Bulgaria gets a new government, it is best to work on issues on the sidelines, which could somehow restore the trust that was lost last year and to create a climate to talk after they form a new government in order to unblock our process for joining the EU,” President Pendarovski says in the interview.
