Mickoski: North Macedonia needs a strong opposition — the new ‘alternative’ underestimates and insults citizens

Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski commented in an interview for MTV, given in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly, on the emergence of the new opposition platform “Talks for the Future at 12:05” — a grouping of former SDSM officials seeking the removal of Venko Filipče from the party’s helm. As Ohrid24 reports, the prime minister described the initiative as an “alternative” that underestimates and insults the people, stressing that the message “you vote for Mickoski and VMRO because you have no other choice” is in itself an oxymoron.

According to Vesti.mk, Mickoski added that “in politics there is no second chance for a first impression”, hinting that the platform’s initiators have already lost the public’s trust. He stressed he would not interfere in SDSM’s internal affairs, but assessed that North Macedonia needs a strong opposition for political debate with the government — “while right now we don’t have one”.

The prime minister also commented on the current opposition spectrum in the country. As MediaHub reports, of the opposition coalition led by DUI he spoke of “old and worn-out structures”, while of Levica he said it left a faint impression while running two institutions in the City of Skopje and cannot present itself as an alternative — describing it as a group of 10–20 people, content with annual funding.

Mickoski’s statements come at a moment when the political scene in Skopje is shifting, following the public emergence of the “Talks for the Future at 12:05” platform, which aims, according to its founders, at the recovery of the left through the removal of SDSM’s current leadership. The prime minister, however, appears convinced this initiative will not manage to build citizens’ trust.