Filipche: "Blind Appendix of Europe." VMRO-DPMNE: He Recognizes Himself in the Word "Dregs"

SDSM leader Venko Filipche, appearing on Kanal 5's "Only Interview" programme, said government policy is turning Macedonia into a "blind appendix of Europe," while neighbouring countries move rapidly toward EU membership. "Macedonia's European path has been blocked since 2022. Because of them there is no development, because of them corruption flourishes, and because of them we are a blind appendix of Europe," Filipche said.

He added that "regional insecurity and isolationist policies" are pushing foreign investment toward Montenegro and Albania instead of Macedonia, and referred to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski's delegation in the US as "four horsemen of the apocalypse." As additional evidence, Filipche pointed to a contract under which a firm linked to a former SDSM secretary received a €1.6 million tender from the public railway infrastructure enterprise, stressing the deal might be lawful but that the public has a right to know its political background.

VMRO-DPMNE responded in a statement that Filipche "recognizes himself in the epithet 'dregs'" and opposes every project that brings development — specifically citing his scepticism toward data centre construction. The party noted that even former prime minister and current SDSM MP Dimitar Kovachevski had publicly said he does not share Filipche's position on the issue.

VMRO-DPMNE, countering the claims of economic stagnation, cited GDP growth figures — eight consecutive quarters of growth above 3 percent, compared with under 1 percent in the first three quarters of the previous government's term. Both sides, then, are using the same economic picture — investment, growth, development projects — to draw opposite conclusions.

MKNews Hub · Politics · September 20, 2026