VMRO-DPMNE has responded to statements by SDSM leader Venko Filipče, accusing him and the opposition party of hypocrisy over their positions on protecting state interests. According to the ruling party, the decisions that harmed national interests were made precisely while SDSM was in power.

“Venko Filipče and SDSM, who committed the greatest betrayals, changed the country’s name, signed a blank document for the Bulgarian demands and sold out national interests, are now declaring that Macedonia is not for sale. It is ironic that this is coming from those who, when they were changing the name, promised citizens that Macedonia would join the EU and become part of a wealthy family, while today they oppose any development of the country. In the end, all we got was a photograph from the plane,” VMRO-DPMNE said in its response.

The ruling party also includes former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in its accusations, linking him to personal gains that it claims resulted from the name change and the “selling out of national interests.”

Part of the response also addresses the state of the healthcare system while SDSM was in power. VMRO-DPMNE blames Filipče and Zaev for the situation in healthcare, as well as for alleged irregularities in procurement, tenders and medical supplies.

According to VMRO-DPMNE, Filipče and SDSM want the country to fail and stagnate. In this context, the party mentions allegations involving companies in Bulgaria, yachts in Greece and shares in Indian aviation companies.

“At a time when the Government is working to secure another investment that will develop the economy, the high-tech industry and the mining sector, as well as create more jobs, SDSM and Filipče are opposed,” the statement said.

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The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) has expressed deep concern over the state of public finances, accusing Hristijan Mickoski’s government of plunging the country into massive debt. According to the party, the government has taken out another loan because the state coffers have run out of funds.

The opposition claims that a new loan worth 1.3 billion euros has been approved, a move that it says confirms its earlier warnings. “What we have been saying for months has been confirmed: the budget is empty and the government is taking out new loans,” the Social Democrats said in an official reaction.

SDSM describes this as entirely exceptional borrowing. Including the latest amount, the party claims that in just two years in office, the current government will have added around 4 billion euros in new liabilities to the state. “This is a burden that will not be borne only by today’s citizens, but also by their children and future generations,” the party warned.

Continuing at this pace, SDSM predicts that by the end of 2026, total debt will reach approximately 12 billion euros. According to its calculations, this amount would represent more than 65 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The party points out that the current annual budget is around 7 billion euros, but adds that this increase in funds is not translating into benefits for citizens. “The people are seeing nothing from all this extra money,” SDSM accused.

The opposition claims that instead of being used for citizens’ needs, these funds are being poured into what it called “criminal tenders.” It also directly linked the borrowing policy to the decline in living standards. According to the figures presented, the minimum cost of living for a family of four has risen by around 9,000 denars over the past two years, while the minimum wage has increased by only around 3,500 denars.

According to SDSM, this contrast shows that workers earning the minimum wage are living worse than before. The party also accused Prime Minister Mickoski of opposing an increase in the minimum wage to 600 euros. It added that there are no funds for higher wages and pensions, despite the massive borrowing and inflated budget.

The pension system was also a focus of the criticism. SDSM harshly accused the authorities of seeking to access citizens’ savings in the second pension pillar, using the term “theft.” According to the party, in addition to failing to take concrete measures to help citizens amid the cost-of-living crisis, the government is also acting suspiciously with regard to legal matters.

SDSM questioned the legal basis of the new loan, stressing that the 1.3 billion euro loan had not been included in the latest budget revision. In this context, serious accusations were levelled against Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Koçoska. “Koçoska, as the executor of Mickoski’s orders, must be aware that unlawful actions in violation of the Budget Law carry criminal liability and a prison sentence,” the opposition Social Democrats concluded in their reaction.

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VMRO-DPMNE MP Mile Lefkov said the state must guarantee the protection of data from all institutions. He recalled that during SDSM’s time in government, the Health Insurance Fund’s system was attacked, preventing citizens from exercising their rights.

At a press conference held today, Lefkov accused SDSM and Venko Filipche of continually opposing the development of the data center industry. According to him, this sector is part of the future and is expanding worldwide, while Filipche opposes it for reasons that, as Lefkov said, only he knows.

Lefkov said Filipche and Zoran Zaev, who he claimed still gives Filipche instructions on his work, should be reminded that Macedonia already has a data center in Prilep.

According to him, the facility in Prilep is not a primary center, but a secondary one. In the event of a potential cyberattack on an institution’s system, its data is stored at this backup center.

He stressed that each institution currently determines how it will store its own data.

For this reason, Lefkov said Macedonia needs a national, primary and central system for storing data from all institutions. He explained that the construction of such a national center is envisaged under the EU Reform Agenda, which provides funding and financial assistance, while Macedonia is responsible for building the national, primary and central data center.

The MP stressed that such a facility would serve to protect data belonging to state institutions from potential cyberattacks and guarantee its security.

Lefkov reiterated that this is precisely the solution SDSM opposes. He again cited as an example the attack on the Health Insurance Fund’s system during its time in government, when citizens were unable to receive maternity benefits, obtain reimbursements for medicines or exercise other similar rights.

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The statute of limitations deadline for the “Talir 2” case is approaching, and the Skopje Court of Appeals must issue a decision before August 31.

On July 14, the ruling of the first-instance court was made public. It acquitted former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of the charges and rejected the confiscation of the VMRO-DPMNE headquarters. Earlier this month, the prosecution challenged the ruling through an appeal.

The Court of Appeals may uphold or overturn the acquittal ruling. Regardless of the outcome, the parties may have a very limited period to file appeals.

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Following the decision by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption to close the investigation into the procurement of modular hospitals, SDSM leader Venko Filipçe called on the prime minister and leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, to apologize to citizens for what he described as five years of spreading fake news.

The Prosecutor’s Office concluded that there were no grounds for suspecting abuse of official position or any other criminal offense in the procurement procedures for 19 modular hospitals. Consequently, the case was closed.

Filipçe said the Prosecutor’s Office’s finding proves that there had been no abuse of office or damage to the budget during his tenure.

“The Prosecutor’s Office clearly stated that there was no abuse of official position and no damage to the budget. This reflects all of my work, both at the clinic, where I acted in the interests of patients and without corruption, and in the other positions I have held, always in the interests of citizens and without causing harm to anyone,” he said.

The SDSM leader accused Mickoski and VMRO-DPMNE of waging a campaign over the past five years that was, according to him, based on lies, insults and severe labeling.

“Mickoski and his organized criminal group, together with their chief PR adviser, Latas, needed a killer. For five years they called me a killer, compared me to killers and to Dr. Mengele. Imagine that—me, who saves lives and for whom the health of citizens is the first priority. They did not stop,” Filipçe said, adding that the campaign continued even after the Prosecutor’s Office’s decision.

The case concerning the modular hospitals was closed after five years of investigation, while the Prosecutor’s Office stated that there was no well-founded suspicion of abuse of official position or causing damage to the budget.

Meanwhile, during a visit to Prilep, Mickoski described as scandalous the decision by prosecutor Islam Abazi to terminate the proceedings concerning the modular hospital.

“Fourteen people were burned alive in the modular hospital in Tetovo. Unfortunately, the prosecutor who is leaving office decided to close the case. But the public should know that this is not a political amnesty, since new details may always emerge and the process may be reopened,” Mickoski said in response to journalists’ questions.

The investigation was launched in September 2021 at the initiative of the Prosecutor’s Office itself, with the aim of verifying procurement documentation and examining whether criminal liability existed.

During the proceedings, materials and data obtained from the government, the ministries of Interior, Finance, Labor and Social Policy, and Health, as well as from the Public Procurement Bureau and the Tetovo Prosecutor’s Office, were examined.

According to the investigation, three procurements were carried out between April and June 2020 to increase hospital capacity to cope with the pandemic. They included the containers beside the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Skopje, non-medical equipment for the regional Covid center, and the modular ward for the Clinic of Pulmonology and Allergology.

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VMRO-DPMNE has reacted to the decision by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption to close the investigation into the 19 modular hospitals. According to the ruling Macedonian party, five years after the case was launched, the institution headed by Islam Abazi concluded that there was no reasonable suspicion of abuse of official position and authority.

The party claims that responsibility for the installation of the modular hospitals lies directly with Venko Filipche, who was Minister of Health at the time. According to the party, instead of reviewing the standards for these facilities, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, at the government’s proposal, amended the Construction Law through an expedited procedure, classifying the modular hospitals as urban equipment. Their installation and authorization required approval from the Ministry of Health—that is, from Filipche himself.

“This means that Venko Filipche bears direct responsibility for the installation of the modular hospitals and, consequently, for the tragedy that occurred in Tetovo as well,” VMRO-DPMNE said.

The party added that Filipche had not approved minimum technical specifications and had not prepared an electricity study. For this reason, it said, he is also directly responsible for the fire on September 8. The reaction also mentions that the modular hospital in Tetovo was built directly above the reservoir of a petrol station.

VMRO-DPMNE also criticized the case’s delay, saying the file had remained in a drawer for years, first with Vilma Ruskovska and later with Elizabeta Josifovska, both prosecutors at the former Special Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the party, the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office, under Abazi’s leadership, ultimately decided that there were no grounds for criminal prosecution.

“It is particularly concerning that Abazi, just one month before the end of his term as head of the prosecution, carried out his final orders to protect his superiors and save Venko Filipche from criminal prosecution,” the reaction said. However, the party stressed that closing the case did not mean the truth had been permanently buried, as the presentation of new evidence could lead to the reopening of the proceedings.

In its statement, VMRO-DPMNE promised to continue seeking a full investigation into the tragedy in Tetovo and accountability for all those who committed negligence or abuses. According to the party, justice for the 14 victims must not remain in a drawer.

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After three days of protests by farmers in Strumica over the low purchase price of 25 denars for red peppers, the ruling VMRO-DPMNE responded to criticism from SDSM by claiming that the price is being set by former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s family business.

“It is hypocritical for SDSM to engage in political confrontation and point-scoring over the purchase of peppers. Farmers facing problems selling their produce know very well that one of the largest buyers is Mama’s Ajvar, owned by Zoran Zaev,” VMRO-DPMNE said.

The party also raised suspicions that the low purchase prices are being maintained knowingly and deliberately for political purposes so that SDSM can benefit, while Zoran Zaev, together with Venko Filipče, enjoys a million-dollar yacht in the Aegean Sea.

“If SDS once again submits a request concerning the purchase of peppers, it should address it to the largest buyer, Mama’s Ajvar, and Zoran Zaev. What remains unclear is where Zoran Zaev sets the prices from: Porto Carras or Santorini?” VMRO-DPMNE said in its response.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Borče Serafimovski is expected to speak to the media today outside the regional unit’s offices in Strumica regarding the purchase of Kurtovska Kapija peppers.

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VMRO-DPMNE describes the return to operation of the Thessaloniki-Skopje oil pipeline after a 13-year shutdown as one of its key achievements. According to the party, its reactivation enables the safer transport of petroleum products, ensures greater stability of supply and strengthens the country’s energy security.

At the same time, the government is financing the development of new energy interconnections with neighboring countries.

“The project to build a gas interconnector with Greece has reached an advanced stage, while intensive work is also underway to establish a connection with Serbia. These projects will diversify natural gas sources, improve security of supply and create a more competitive energy market.

Alongside these capital projects, the electricity market is also being modernized. The operation of the intraday market and its connection to European trading mechanisms are integrating Macedonia into Europe’s modern energy system, bringing transparency, efficiency and greater new opportunities for the domestic economy,” VMRO-DPMNE said./Telegrafi/

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SDSM has accused the government of procuring drinking water worth around €100,000 through the Service for General and Common Affairs, amid the situation affecting the water supply in Gostivar.

According to the opposition party, the contract was awarded through direct negotiations without a prior public notice.

SDSM claims the agreement was signed with the company “Kožuvčanka,” which it says is owned by the mayor of Kavadarci. According to its allegations, the procedure was conducted by the director of the Service for General and Common Affairs, Ivica Tomovski.

The opposition described the move as lacking transparency. In its statement, SDSM said Gostivar residents are dealing with the consequences of contaminated water, while the institutions are failing to take appropriate measures and are awarding contracts without a public procedure.

The government and the Service for General and Common Affairs have yet to respond to SDSM’s allegations.

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Bojan Stojanovski, an MP from the ruling party, said today that the data show Macedonia is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for tourism and transport.

In a social media post, Stojanovski cited statistics showing that Skopje and Ohrid airports recorded their most successful July to date, setting historic records for air traffic in Macedonia.

According to ACI Europe, passenger traffic increased by 27.9%, placing the country first among non-EU+ countries.

With growth of 28.6%, Skopje International Airport ranked among Europe’s fastest-growing medium-sized airports.

Meanwhile, Ohrid’s St. Paul the Apostle Airport recorded the most successful July in its history. During the month, passenger numbers at Ohrid Airport rose by 41.21% compared with the same period last year.

Stojanovski wrote on Facebook that these figures show that investments in new air routes, airport improvements and support for tourism are delivering tangible results for the Macedonian economy.

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