Dear citizens of the Republic of Macedonia,

For almost two years now, our country has been facing a deep political crisis. This is the deepest political crisis so far, that seems to be getting deeper every day. Not even the setting of elections is enough to guarantee that the crisis will soon end, regardless of how much we are all willing for it to happen.

In this period, I tried on several occasions to help, to get involved in the resolution of this crisis. However, one of the two confronted parties did not show any will or interest for my involvement and insisted that the talks be held exclusively under the auspices of the international factor in the country. Not having a choice, I accepted their decision, although I believe that it is not good for the country. When someone from outside resolves your internal problems, that does not speak well about yourself. And it is normal for those factors to be led above all by their own interests in that process of resolving or assisting. Still, things can only be taken, but not given by force. The mediation that I had offered was not accepted.

That was, however, not a reason for me to stop closely monitoring and analyzing the developments, which seemed to become worse with every single day. Somehow we reached the phase of dissolving the Assembly, but the biggest opposition party announced a boycott, which again, is not good for the country.

My analysis goes in the following directions:

1. What is happening to Macedonia is not our game. This is someone else's game.
It is illegal to intercept the communication of the entire state leadership, journalists, media, diplomats, and then all of this, in the form of fabricated material, to be placed in the hands of a single man, with a strong support for him to use it, as well as all the events that ensued, clearly demonstrates that someone else has been deeply involved in the creation of this crisis. In fact, Macedonia is not the first, and will probably not be the last state where such a thing is happening.

2. What is happening is not in anyone's interest here in Macedonia. It is in the interest of someone else.
This crisis did nothing for anyone in the country; nothing for the Government, or the opposition, no matter how high the expectations were. But this crisis made serious damage to Macedonia and all our citizens. It damaged the reputation of the country, it slowed down reforms and progress, it distorted the focus on our strategic aims for EU and NATO membership, it damaged our economy, deepened the divisions in every pore of our society, it radicalized political structures and started a process of destruction that could no longer be controlled or predicted by anyone. No one can convince me that this crisis is in the interest of the Republic of Macedonia.
This crisis is in someone else's interest. It is someone else's aim and interest. That someone wants to realize their own aim through the confronted politicians, political leaders and their supporters.

3. The developments in this past period resulted in an unprecedented political confrontation and a politics of mutual clashes and destruction. It resulted in endless retaliation, hatred and personal confrontation.
Take a look at what has happened to our politicians from both government and opposition. They have started such a confrontation, things became so personal and went so far, they opened so many criminal proceedings, that now all of them are ready and willing to use all possible means in order not to be defeated at the upcoming elections, because they no longer know what the opposite side is ready to do in terms of deepening their personal confrontation, retaliation, hatred and even xenophobia. Politics became a thing of who will start more criminal proceedings against whom, who will order more detentions and search warrants; who will manage to intimidate and set the other one up. Judges are facing enormous pressure from all sides. Representatives of the international community are walking around our courts while judges are making decisions on whether or not someone should be detained. Just a few days ago, a judge was taken to hospital because he collapsed during the process. All of this is becoming very hard to handle for many people, and resembles more and more a fight until death. I am afraid that the Republic of Macedonia may start resembling the geographical Macedonia from the beginning of the 20th century when antagonism between Macedonians went so far, that it resulted in mutual extermination through physical liquidations.

Let us be reminded that back then, that was also motivated by external factors.

4. The Assembly dissolved. The opposition announced their boycott of elections and creation of a liberation front. This means that they will try to prevent elections from happening. We have a technical government with restricted competencies. We are on the verge of a state of crisis. The situation has become so entangled that no one seems to be able to untangle it, not even party leaderships or representatives of the international community. The Przino Agreement and the dissolution of the Assembly did not relieve tensions – on the contrary, they only made them worse. If we leave this knot to untangle on its own, we might end up being hostages to a long term political crisis with an unpredictable end. The need of a peaceful election campaign and a peaceful election day is seriously put into question. If, on the other hand, that does not happen, the state and all its citizens will suffer long term consequences. I am afraid whether the citizens will be truly able to end this crisis at the upcoming elections.

5. Ahead of us are months and years when politicians, regardless of who is in power or opposition, will have to deal with serious and strategically important decisions for the state, the nation and identity, and I cannot allow for those who will be in government or opposition, to make decisions under the burden or personal pressure from the possibility of being wrongfully blackmailed or faced with a personal threat against their freedom, honor, reputation, future, or any kind of blackmail by an eternal or internal factor. It is perhaps with such an intention in mind that someone provoked this situation – in order to be able to influence them or maybe even control their decisions, of course above all in personal interest.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Out of these reasons and with an intention to contribute to the resolution of the crisis, relaxation of relations and decrease of tensions between the confronted political forces and their supporters, aware of the consequences on the state and citizens if something is not done in this crisis, aware of the consequences upon myself by taking such a step, but also with a strong belief that I am making a decision in the interest of the country and nation and its stability and independence, I decided to put an end to this agony of the Republic of Macedonia. Metaphorically speaking, I decided to cut the knot in accordance with all my constitutional and legal competences and this, through a Decision on the interruption of all proceedings against politicians and their supporters belonging to the confronted parties.

I made and signed the Decision today. And I stand behind it. The decision will enter into force immediately.

Dear citizens,

As regards this decision, I wish to inform you on several things.
- I was not led by individual affiliations to political options, but exclusively by state and national interests. Among those covered by the decision are many political supporters, but also opponents of mine. However, I did not consider my personal positions, but state interests.
- I did not inform any of those covered by the decision, nor did I announce it in any way or ask for any agreement for this action of mine. My assumption was that, if I did it, all of them, or most of them, convinced in their innocence and rightfulness, would have rejected this action and the agony in the country would have continued for years, along with all the negative consequences.
- I did not enter into analysis of whether someone is guilty or innocent. My starting position was the presumption of innocence. My assumption was that most of these people are not guilty of the deeds for which they have been subjected to criminal proceedings, although I cannot confirm that without a court decision. This is my opinion because it became clear that someone's aim is to involve politicians and those close to them in criminal procedures, fear and uncertainty, and then take advantage of such a situation in order to realize their own goals. However, the situation is such that, while we wait for them to prove their innocence, we might bring into question the future of the country. The Republic of Macedonia and its citizens have no time for that.
- Most of the proceedings will be interrupted in the phase of criminal charges, without an actual investigation or indictment or court hearings in place. I suppose that most of them would not have reached the phase of investigation or indictment. In some cases there has been an investigation or indictment, which again, does not imply that those people are guilty. Only one of the decisions is an amnesty for a person convicted with an effective court judgment, but having in mind that the procedure for all others involved in that case will be interrupted, I believed that it would be unjust for that person to be the only one serving a prison sentence, only because unlike the others in that case, the person acknowledged the deed and reached an agreement with the public prosecutor's office regarding the severity of the sanction.
- If I have offended anyone by this action, or of I have provoked unpleasant feelings in any way, I publicly apologize and I underline that I have no bad intentions towards anyone. I am taking this step only to preserve state and national interests above all.
- If I have missed someone and if I established that it is so in the forthcoming period, I will correct that. If I establish that someone is trying again and with similar actions, to entangle us in a similar scenario, I do not exclude the possibility of reacting in an identical manner once again.
- In the past period, the actions of certain institutions thought as being professional, had an element of political witch hunt and therefore, if I feel such a thing happening in the future, I will act accordingly and do the same I did today.
- I am convinced that with this decision, I am making an important step towards mutual reconciliation, and that this will help restore a normal political and democratic fight characteristic for all developed countries, based on a competition of ideas and results instead of mutual exhaustion and destruction, and especially not in function of someone else's interests. I am convinced that with this step I am also helping international mediators who have good and honest intentions as far as our country is concerned, above all in their efforts to consolidate the political crisis and moving the country towards further progress, reforms and realization of our strategic plans to become part of NATO and the EU.
- In the short term, there is a possibility of either parties, or all parties, to attack me or blame me about this step. It is possible that I am blamed with different conspiracy theories or other accusations on my account. I am ready to handle them all. When I accepted this function, I was aware that it would bring many unpleasant moments. However, I am certain to have made the right decision.

At the end, allow me to conclude: I cannot allow this happening to Macedonia during my term of office. Our generation must not allow this. Whatever is happening in Macedonia is everything but politics – this is a bigger game, in which Macedonians, but also all others, Albanians and others, and not only politicians, but also academicians, professors, doctors, intellectuals, businessmen – all of them under blackmail and hostages to this situation. The crisis will end when everyone stops being hostages of fear, personal vendetta, anger, hatred and divisions.

We need national reconciliation. We have had enough of seeing Macedonians going against Macedonians. I see this as a step in that direction.

This is the beginning of the end of this crisis and I wish it ends with fair and democratic elections by all standards; legitimized and recognized by international institutions. Thus reconciled, the country would be able to move forward, leaving behind these two dark years that the history will consider as a black mark on our generation.

I take this responsibility in full faith and aware of all possible future reactions by all sides, and I stand ready to defend this decision anywhere and in front of anyone.

Thank you.