Former SDSM officials present a new initiative and criticize Venko Filipce’s leadership

On Wednesday, around twenty former SDSM officials, together with one current party official, promoted a new movement that they present as an alternative in the social democratic space. According to them, the aim of this initiative is to restore and reaffirm the social democratic idea, as they believe it is not being expressed properly by SDSM under the leadership of its current leader, Venko Filipce.

Several well-known names from SDSM’s past were present at the meeting, including former vice president Igor Ivanovski, who leads this grouping, former secretary general Nikolla Qurkchiev, Emilijan Stankovikj, as well as former vice presidents Andrej Petrov and Gordan Georgiev.

Among the current officials, MP Slavjanka Petrovska took part, having run for the post of SDSM chair against Venko Filipce. Also present was the president of the Liberal Democratic Party and MP Monika Zajkova.

The gathering, titled “Conversation for the Future,” was also attended by lawyer Zvonko Davidovikj and political scientist Nenad Markovikj.

Participants assessed that the opposition camp is not built through the creation of new parties, but through an ideological and values-based revolution.

“Macedonia needs a new social contract as the basis for creating broad opposition potential for change. The progressive democratic public needs a genuine and objective debate, which in order to achieve its goal must be free from the usual need to seek the approval of party authorities,” their statement said.