Skopje, 30 June 2025 (MIA) - The latest report by the European Parliament is practically the worst assessment our country has received in over a decade. The report clearly notes concerns about attacks on journalists, misogyny, impunity, and the rise in hate and disinformation, said the leader of opposition party SDSM Venko Filipche at a press conference Monday.

The leader of the opposition said the report condemns the participation in meetings where plans were made to establish spheres of influence and undermine the sovereignty of other countries and regional stability as a whole.

“This is noted by the report through the formulation that the Government is supporting the so-called Serbian world, while the European Union condemns the presence at meetings during which plans were made to establish spheres of influence and undermine the sovereignty of other countries and the stability of the region as a whole. From the very first day, SDSM has said this Government is placing the country at the mercy of other countries. In addition to the dangerous borrowing with direct loans, policies are being led under the dictate of other countries that exert excessive influence over this Government, this is now becoming increasingly evident and is practically being proven true,” Filipche said.

Filipche also pointed to references in the report about foreign meddling and disinformation campaigns, as well as "suspicious financial flows and coercive investment practices" originating from Russia and China.

“The report states the European Union is alarmed about Hungary and Serbia’s roles in advancing and spreading the geopolitical objectives of Russia and China in the Balkans. In that context, it notes the risk of dependence on China caused by asymmetrical loans, like the recent loan from Hungary, which appears to be sourced from China,” Filipche said.

The SDSM leader also accused the Government of isolating the country by abstaining on the European resolution on Ukraine in the UN General Assembly. He said the move represents “a diplomatic embarrassment and a scandal, which is noted in the report”.

“Aware of the serious criticism from the European Union, in my opinion, VMRO-DPMNE is reactivating nationalist topics to overshadow the criticism. These kinds of topics work in their favor – it is essentially a game of ping-pong with the Bulgarian officials, something that works for both sides as a way to strengthen their positions solely on the domestic front,” Filipche said.

The opposition leader stressed that while until recently the only condition for the continuation of the country’s European path was good neighborly relations and resolving issues with neighboring countries, now, he said, “much more serious topics are coming to the surface”.

“In the eyes of many countries in the European Union, Macedonia is already being perceived as a country that supports the geopolitical and regional interests of countries like Serbia, Hungary, Russia, and China. We all now need to ask ourselves, given these actions clearly noted in the European Union’s report, is European integration merely a declarative commitment by the Government and VMRO-DPMNE or are they perhaps working on some new alternative, a new direction that we are heading in,” Filipche underscored. 

Photo/Video: SDSM