Skopje, 1 September 2025 (MIA) - Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said on Monday evening the Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency thoroughly focused on him and then-opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, as well as journalists and businessmen. In a media statement, Mickoski did not want to disclose any details since, he said, the documents are classified, adding that he expects the people who were doing the wiretapping will end up behind bars.

"I cannot speak about the details because it is a state secret, that document, those documents, are classified that way. But one fact remains: both agencies, the Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, thoroughly focused on the then-largest opposition party and me. Among others, they also targeted journalists and businessmen. So let this period unfold, let the prosecution speak, and naturally, the judges, in a judicial process. I’m already used to it. I’m used to that type of people, and it doesn’t surprise me, because even back then, information was reaching us about what was happening. Simply put, that type of people don’t have enough motivation in life to engage in good things, they meddle in other people’s lives. They think that by doing so, they’ll earn some praise, some advantage with their superiors, and that they’ll advance in their careers that way," Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister stressed that “all things have a beginning and an end”.

“I expect these rodents to end up where they belong, behind bars. So that, once and for all, we can put an end to the abuse of this type of agencies and their resources,” the PM said.

The head of the National Security Agency Bojan Hristovski said, “the so-called reformed NSA in 2019 was anything but a reformed institution”.

"It was more of a façade than a reformed institution. What happened inside involved a small group, including a former director and a few employees, and we have indications that they abused their official positions. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has been informed, and I cannot share more details about this, as they are highly classified and sensitive. We do not want to disrupt any legal proceedings or interfere with a process that is underway or may be initiated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office," Hristovski said.

The head of the NSA says he sees this as a day to break with the past, “a day that sends a message to all who have ever dared to abuse their official position not to do it anymore”.

“We hope that if guilt is proven for those we have reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, they will be held accountable, and that unlawful, unprofessional, and unethical conduct within the agency will never happen again,” Hristovski said.  

The head of the NSA did not want to say how many people were wiretapped, directing the media to pose that question to the Prosecutor’s Office.

In answer to a journalist’s question about SDSM’s proposed “red lines” resolution, Prime Minister Mickoski said they would review the document, adding he hopes that “VMRO-DPMNE and the parliamentary group from the ruling coalition will also be allowed to provide their input on the matter”.

“Let’s see the document, let’s see what new thing they can offer,” Mickoski said.

The PM added that many such declarations put forward by SDSM were “mere words on paper and were not respected at all”.

“Although we must say that in the past, SDSM’s declarations have ended up as mere words on paper and were not respected at all. We’ve had many such declarations before, as I mentioned, but unfortunately, SDSM did not honor any of what it declared when it had a fragile opportunity to govern. So, let’s see that document, and then we’ll provide our input based on what we see,” Mickoski said.

Photo: MIA