In brief
After Serbia’s October 25 parliamentary election, North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and opposition leader Venko Filipce traded sharp remarks. Mickoski congratulated the new student‑movement government and urged continued economic cooperation, while Filipce accused the Skopje administration of colluding with Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic and alleging corruption. The confrontation highlights lingering political tensions across the Balkans.
Following Serbia’s parliamentary elections on Oct. 25, North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and opposition leader Venko Filipce engaged in a heated exchange in Skopje, according to BTA news reports.
Mickoski, leader of the ruling VMRO‑DPMNE, was among the first to congratulate Ilija Srdanovic, head of the Student Movement’s electoral list that won in Serbia, and stressed that “good neighbours” should continue economic cooperation.
Filipce, head of the opposition SDSM, accused the Skopje government of ties to Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party and alleged corruption in the energy sector and drug trafficking, claiming a “corruption scheme” linked the two governments. According to BTA, Filipce said:
“Some people say we are celebrating foreign elections. No, we are celebrating the arrival of the wave of democracy here in the region, because these business, political, and media ties with Aleksandar Vucic… are the ties that fuel, and have fueled, our regime.”
Filipce also said the government was linked to Vucic through “corruption schemes in the energy sector and through drug trafficking.”
In reply, Mickoski dismissed the claims as “insults, fabrications, and lies” from the opposition, noting that he was “accustomed to” such accusations. He also referenced past instructions “from Vucic” that the Skopje administration had received, according to the report.
The confrontation underscores the deep regional political tensions, as both sides emphasize their differing narratives about their relationship with Serbia and the role of foreign influence in North Macedonia’s politics, as reported by BTA.
