52-Year-Old Man from Struga Arrested After Insulting Prime Minister Mickoski

S.G., 52, from Struga, was arrested after allegedly hurling verbal insults during Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s visit to Tashmarunishtë on August 2. The Interior Ministry announced the news, while VMRO-DPMNE said the detained man possessed Bulgarian documents.

The arrest followed a criminal complaint for “obstructing an official in the performance of official duties,” the Lideri.mk news portal reported.

According to the Interior Ministry’s statement, the incident occurred on August 2, when S.G. allegedly insulted public figures attending an event marking August 2—Republic Day. The authorities said that the relevant charges would be filed against him once the case had been fully documented.

The incident was also commented on a day earlier by SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE.

SDSM sought to establish whether citizens had verbally attacked Mickoski and whether the insults were the result of unfulfilled promises. According to the party, the prime minister’s policy of spreading hatred, discord and division, also evident in his Ilinden speech, has caused citizens to lose patience with him. SDSM linked the widespread public dissatisfaction to the catastrophic economic situation, water pollution, the country’s isolation and Mickoski’s daily lies.

VMRO-DPMNE responded to SDSM by stating that the party had recognized itself in Mickoski’s speech in Pelincë and had demonstrated its complete coordination with external centers.

The ruling party said that the prime minister, greeted by citizens, was walking among them in a manner befitting a popular leader, unlike the SDSM leader, who, it said, avoids citizens by using expensive yachts and addresses them through recorded messages even on a day such as Ilinden.

VMRO-DPMNE also claimed that while Mickoski was moving among the citizens, a person under the influence of alcohol was shouting inappropriate words with the intention of provoking an incident. According to the party, those present isolated the person, while Interior Ministry officers identified him. During the identification process, he presented a Bulgarian identity card and passport.