The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is delivering her speech in the Assembly of North Macedonia. Von der Leyen encouraged lawmakers to support the French proposal but added that if they want to wait for a better offer, that is within their rights.

The declarations of the President of the EC have also been accompanied by disputes from opposition MPs, but she thanked them for “demonstrating a democratic behavior.”

Von der Leyen addressed the Macedonians’ concern regarding their language and identity, stressing that she “fully respects” it.

“If you decide to approve the revised French proposal, an intergovernmental political conference will be held in the coming days. We as a commission will immediately start the process of checking or reviewing the European law. This is the first step in the access process.

Dear Macedonians, I listened carefully to the concerns regarding the Macedonian language and identity. There is no doubt that the Macedonian language is your language. I repeat, there is no doubt that the Macedonian language is your language and we fully respect that. That’s why the revised proposal says – Macedonian language, without qualifications from the EU”, Von der Leyen said.

Meanwhile, the deputies in the hall stood up and applauded her, while the Macedonian opposition called “traitors”.

Likewise, the president of the EC emphasized that the French proposal respects the identity of Macedonians.

/Klara Ruci/