North Macedonia PM Micic criticised for divisive Ilinden speech

On the Ilinden national holiday, officials of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), including executive Andrej Zhernovski, accused Prime Minister Christian Micic of using his address to divide the nation, repeatedly calling citizens a “talog” – a derogatory term for “scum”.

The SDSM statement said Micic’s remarks were filled with hate, blamed him for the country’s economic decline, water contamination and stalled EU integration, and described his rhetoric as “political hatred” that treats the people as a “talog”.

The opposition party VMO‑DPMNE responded, claiming that SDSM itself has identified as “talog” and accusing the government of neglecting national interests, compromising with foreign influences and failing to protect citizens.