Former North Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski Granted Hungarian Citizenship
Former North Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski was awarded Hungarian citizenship in 2022, four years after fleeing to Hungary to avoid serving a two‑year prison term for corruption. Hungarian media report the citizenship, granted for "the interest of the Hungarian state," makes his return to North Macedonia virtually impossible. Gruevski is believed to still reside in Budapest. The new Hungarian prime minister, Péter Mágyar, warned that Hungary will not become a refuge for criminals, naming Gruevski alongside two former Polish officials who have left the country. According to the research portal VSquare, while political asylum could be withdrawn, revoking citizenship is a far more difficult legal process. North Macedonian prime minister Christian Metskovik said his government has no information on Gruevski’s Hungarian citizenship and doubts he will return; any return would lead to his arrest and imprisonment. Previous attempts by Skopje to secure his extradition were rejected by Hungarian courts.