Pendarovski for "Free Press": It is not a limitation of media freedom if money is withdrawn for those who do not work for European values
At yesterday's press conference, President Stevo Pendarovski supported the Dutch Ambassador Dirk Jan Kopp's position on the Judicial Council and the situation in the judiciary in general, as well as the decision to stop programs to support institutions that he considers do not work in the interest of European values. and are financed by the Dutch taxpayers.
Answering journalist questions, Pendarovski said that he would like to see other embassies in Skopje withdraw their projects and the money they give, not only for the Judicial Council but also for some non-governmental organizations and media which, as he said, apparently all these years ago they were working with European money, and against Europe.
"President Pendarovski supports the position of the Dutch embassy on the decision to stop programs to support institutions that he believes do not work in the interest of European values, and are financed by Dutch taxpayers," the president's office told us.
When asked if his statement about withdrawing European money for NGOs and media that do not work in the interest of European values also means limiting the freedom of the media, the cabinet says that it is not a limitation because they have committed to the promotion of European values through the programs they work on
"The President does not consider it a limitation of the freedom of the media or a limitation of the work of non-governmental organizations, if a certain donor decides to stop supporting projects financed by European taxpayers, if he considers that certain organizations, institutions or media are not working in the interest of the European integration of the country, and they have committed themselves to the promotion of European values through the programs they are working on," Pendarovski's office told "Free Press".
Yesterday, President Pendarovski said at the press conference that "this Judicial Council has become quite public and in that direction, the statement from the Dutch ambassador to withdraw a project that was supposed to be implemented with the Judicial Council is correct."
According to him, there is a bigger problem with the Judicial Council than the problem with the two judges that he proposed as members of the Council.