SDSM attacks ZNAM: “A political project to weaken the opposition and keep VMRO-DPMNE in power”

The Macedonian opposition party SDSM harshly attacked the ZNAM movement on Saturday, following the two-year public report held a day earlier in Skopje, calling it a “political project” created to weaken the opposition and keep the VMRO-DPMNE party in power.

In its reaction, SDSM responds to ZNAM’s message that “functions come and go, Macedonia remains,” assessing that the event was in fact a report before Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, not a demonstration of patriotism. “ZNAM is not a movement, but an appendix; functions are changeable, the provision remains,” the opposition’s statement reads.

SDSM claims that ZNAM first broke away from SDSM and, upon entering government, turned into a “political satellite” of VMRO-DPMNE. The opposition particularly disputes the presentation of the pension increase as a success of the government, assessing that with the new model pensioners are harmed.

“For two years they have held the people hostage, and now with a brochure and 14 cities they will explain how much they love Macedonia,” the reaction reads. It also lists a series of accusations about functions, tenders, investments and other economic interests — for part of which the statement offers no evidence — as well as figures of 1.6 million euros in budget funds and 5.53 million euros for David Guetta’s performance, which SDSM uses as part of its criticism of the government.

SDSM again links the so-called “Platform for reforms in SDSM” to Mickoski, calling it “ZNAM 2.0” and claiming its goal was the further weakening of the opposition. The opposition party warns that the political confrontation with the government and its coalition partners will continue in the upcoming elections, while institutional accountability is also demanded for the alleged abuses.

Source: Prva Skopska