"French proposal plus" is one of the solutions offered by the Macedonian Government to get out of the deadlock in which we found ourselves on the way to the European Union. This decision, according to unofficial information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foresees a delayed effect of the constitutional amendments, or rather their adoption, by the fact that they will come into force at the end of the negotiation process.

This very idea will be offered to European interlocutors in Brussels during the visit of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mutsunski, which will take place on the 18th and 19th of this month.

This idea, as they say from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is not a formal proposal, but it has been said publicly several times.

- We are aware that we need a dialogue, to offer a solution. We have something that is a problem, but also a dangerous practice to the detriment of expansion - say sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the remark that the messages coming from Brussels are not very optimistic that such a solution would be accepted, the MFA commented with the words: "This issue is within the competence of the European Commission, but also of the member states".

Sources from Brussels tell "Sloboden Pechat" that it is good that the Macedonian side is committed to finding a solution and that it is active, but the condition is known.

- There is no positive response in Brussels and I would say that they are not very happy with such proposals from the Macedonian side. But let's be honest, everyone is satisfied to see commitment and proactivity from the Macedonian Government to get out of the current situation. It is good to have constructive solutions - commented our sources.

At the same time, they remind that the condition for Macedonia to start the negotiations by clusters and chapters is to pass the constitutional amendments and to include the Bulgarians in the Constitution. This condition is also in the Negotiating Framework and in the conclusions of the European Council, and in order to accept Macedonia's proposal, they will have to be changed.

On this note, the MFA explains that "the conclusions of the European Council do not have to be changed from a legal point of view". At the same time, they also argue that "before the citizens during the campaign, they promised that they would actively offer a solution". As for the fact that Bulgaria has already rejected such a proposal from the Macedonian side and continues to reject it, the position of high officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that "there is no political government in Sofia, so in these conditions we are not ready to move forward".

- We have an obligation to convince the member states that too many concessions have been made and we are not sure that this with the constitutional amendments is the last concession. It is true that interpersonal relations with Bulgaria have deteriorated and I do not think that it will be easy to reach a solution. Previously, everything offered by the other side was accepted easily, without reservation - said a senior source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to whom European integration and membership in the EU are a key unrealized foreign policy priority, but caution is needed not to rush into making decisions.

In the context of relations with Bulgaria, there is also the problem that arose with the diplomatic scandal in Sofia when the presidents Gordana Siljanovska Davkova and Rumen Radev greeted each other in the presidential palace in Sofia and took pictures in front of the Bulgarian flag, without the Macedonian flag being displayed.

According to the explanations from the MFA, it is a protocol error on the Bulgarian side.

Before the meeting, as they say from there, everything was agreed between the offices of the two presidents and the Macedonian embassy in Sofia. A joint meeting and photo shoot was arranged only in the working part of the office of the Bulgarian president. But their protocol deviated from what was agreed upon and what happened happened.

The agreement between the protocols of the two presidents was to have a tete-a-tete meeting and a joint lunch, at which there was also a Macedonian flag, and the Bulgarian side is responsible for the painting without the flag, which deviated from the agreement. That is exactly why an apology is required.

- It should be known that it is un-European when someone violates the protocol and we will not refrain from responding in an appropriate way - added the MFA.

Although he could immediately react to the photo being taken without the Macedonian flag, Minister Timcho Mutsunski, who was part of the delegation, postponed his reaction for the first working day after the visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains this decision with "respect for Bulgaria due to the plane crash in which two pilots died".

- There were consultations, but the minister did not react publicly during the visit out of respect for the fact that the photo shoot was only a few hours after the plane crash in Bulgaria, in which two pilots died. It was deemed inappropriate to publicly react to the tragedy - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures.

However, from there they did not explain why the Macedonian protocol did not react immediately, but allowed the photography.

The President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev said about this event that this was neither a state nor a working visit of President Siljanovska-Davkova.

- Let it be clear, this was neither a state nor a working visit and I hope that in the near future the President of the Republic of North Macedonia will make a state visit, which will be with all official ceremonies according to protocol, and that will also contribute to our relations - he said Radev added that the meeting in Sofia was constructive and had a good tone, as well as that he received an invitation to visit Macedonia.