Macedonia's ruling VMRO‑DPMNE accuses SDSM leader Venco Filipche of staging political stunt

The ruling VMRO‑DPMNE party issued a statement accusing SDSM leader Venco Filipche of deliberately creating an incident in Novo Selo. According to the party, Filipche appeared with individuals who have criminal convictions and presented them as “children of Macedonia”. The named persons include Christian Eftimov – a grandson of former vice‑president Zoran Zaev and manager of Total Engineering, convicted for a violent assault in Strumica; Ilija Stojanov, convicted of illegal drug production and trafficking; and Zoran Trifunovski, SDSM’s organisational secretary, alleged to have an attempted‑murder and violence record. VMRO‑DPMNE claims the episode mirrors a previous incident in Tashmarunishte and was intended to generate political gain for the opposition. The party also criticised SDSM for other actions, such as spreading hysteria over migrant‑for‑money claims and rejecting a French proposal, describing the party as a source of pessimism and falsehoods.

The controversy highlights deep partisan tensions in North Macedonia, with the ruling party accusing the opposition of exploiting criminal elements for political purposes.