DUI's 21st birthday celebration cemented the split between the "artists" and the "firemen". The first celebrated in Skopje with the "European Front" debate, and the factionalists showed with a celebration in Tetovo that they do not deviate from DUI.

Integratives came out for the first time with different messages and priorities. While for the leader of the party Ali Ahmeti the moment for constitutional changes must not be missed, the faction told DUI not to lose itself on the way to the EU, ie the ideals outlined in 2002.

Ahmeti expressed great optimism that in three to four years the country will be a member of the EU.

"I am an optimist, I always have been and I will remain. Without raising the white flag. We have gone through many confrontations and difficulties and managed to successfully complete the important chapters for both the state and stability. The biggest optimists did not think that we would ever be a member of NATO, but it is now a reality. Even great optimists would not believe that Macedonia as a multi-ethnic state can be an example of solving problems", said Ahmeti and added that "if we once thought that we would need 10 years for EU membership, now I believe that in three or four years we will be a member of the EU because the circumstances have changed in favor of speeding up this path".

He believes that constitutional amendments are necessary, and in order to achieve this, reconciliation is needed between all entities that have responsibility for the fate of the state.

"Reconciliation can be achieved and the interests of the state and the future of generations can be put before themselves. These are historical and decisive moments, aside from daily political interests. The priority should not be whether we win the next elections, but the priority should be whether we achieve the greatest service for our citizens with EU membership," said Ahmeti.

The "Ogneni" say that they celebrate the birthday as a faction, but also that they did not receive an invitation for a joint celebration. "Artanists", on the other hand, with a rhetorical answer as to whether the factionalists are DUI.

"If they are, everyone is invited, the invitation is public for all members and activists. Only non-DUIs await a special invitation. "Those who are hosts have no one to invite them home," said DUI.

The faction members say that they are not doing a parallel celebration, but that they are acting as a faction and that there is enough space inside the party to act with their own political views, to affirm their views and to act within the framework of DUI. The history of the party, the current political situation, the amendment of the Constitution and in the part of replacing the wording "20 percent" with "Albanian language", internal party elections are only part of their messages. They deny that they will form a new party.

"On the contrary, we will nominate our own candidates for branch presidents in the internal party elections that the "artanists" do in secret. We are not making a party, we are fighting for the reformation of DUI", say the "firemen".

After the DUI Central Presidency "self-excluded" the factionalists from the party positions, Bekim Neziri, who is supposed to replace Izet Mejiti, applied for the position of president of the chair branch for the time being in the internal party elections. The "firemen" are expected to nominate their own candidate for Chair, but also for all branches where elections will be organized.

Journalist and analyst Isen Saliu believes that the faction will use all opportunities to stay in DUI.

"But not on the margins as it is now, but to fight for the return of the positions he once had in the party and in the government. For now, their actions seem to me in the direction of proving their thesis that they contributed and can contribute much more to the party than the party gives them back. One of their main theses is also that the president of the party is not against them, but is a "hostage" of Grubi. "It is my opinion that the faction will go with this style at least until the next elections, when it will become clear whether they will be able to act like this practically and formally, or if they will have to build their own house", says Saliu.

Saliu says that the "weight" of the "fire" among the electorate is relative and difficult to estimate.

"At the moment, the executive power is in the hands of the "Ahmetists", ie the "artanists", so it is possible that now many cadres and activists will lean on their side in order not to lose their positions, but before the elections the situation may change", says Saliu.