President Stevo Pendarovski sent a congratulation message to the citizens on the occasion of September 8, the Independence Day of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Exactly 32 years ago, we remember the words of the first President Kiro Gligorov: “I congratulate you all on the free, sovereign and independent Macedonia”.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Throughout the years, we witnessed both successes and failures, some of them happened right on the day of independence. The successes made us happy, but, unfortunately, the examples of abuses and systemic failures destroyed the trust in the institutions and devalued the state itself.
However, the price is paid by those who contributed the least to such situations – the students in education, the sick in health, the poor and the young. More and more often, solidarity and empathy give way to selfishness and apathy, and this creates an environment in which people do not want to live.
Dear fellow citizens,
I know that these are not usual holiday messages, but such messages are needed, because on September 8, 1991, the citizens voted for organized and prosperous Macedonia, which we do not have experienced yet.
Today we need a new collective effort, but at the same time, the character of that endeavor should be appropriate to the time we live in. Ilinden or partisan heroism in the face of tyranny is not required of us today. Today, we are required to have functional institutions, laws that apply equally to everyone, and social reforms that will benefit the citizens, not only the privileged.
The purpose of the existence of the republic is to achieve together what we cannot achieve individually – freedom, justice, economic well-being and coexistence. As every success of the Macedonian state so far is the result of joint efforts, almost every systemic failure is a consequence of the deviation from that principle.
It is high time to ascertain that we are capable in practice, not just in words, to deal with the serious problems we are facing in the long tunnel of the transition that we cannot finalize.
There are many smart and virtuous people in the country with a face, people who can restore the spirit of the Macedonian republic based on the fundamental constitutional and general civilizational values.
Only in this way will we preserve the seed of hope that after more than 3 decades we will finally have a European and democratic Macedonia in which young people will want to live and prosper.
I am convinced that we have the strength and will for such a thing!
Congratulations on the Independence Day!
May the Macedonian republic be eternal!
