Skopje, 19 November 2025 (MIA) – SDSM leader Venko Filipche said Wednesday his party will closely follow the trial over the deadly fire in Kochani stressing it will serve as “a test for the maturity of the society.”

“We will curb every attempt at manipulation, concealing the truth of postponing justice. We ask and we expect the process to be open and transparent before the eyes of the entire public. We owe this to the parents, to all the citizens and to the entire society. This is a major test of the maturity of our society,” Filipche told a news conference.

He commented on Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s remarks saying that SDSM is conducting "necrophilic politics.”

I’m appalled by the prime minister’s rhetoric, Filipche said.

“Although I’m not surprised during last night’s interview, he mentioned over dozen times that SDSM has been conducting ‘necrophilic politics.’ This is nothing new, he has been saying it for a while now. This rhetoric of insults shows only one thing – frustration resulting from the failed attempts to hide the truth or several people close to VMRO-DPMNE to be protected from being investigated or a segment from the investigation to be manipulated and some things to be hidden under the table. I think it is fear being shown from the democratic tools to prove the truth in this devastating case,” he stated.

Filipche reiterated that SDSM had requested that an inquiry commission and an oversight hearing in Parliament should be formed. SDSM, he said, has no issue with including other tragedies, including the deadly modular hospital fire and the deadly bus crash.

On Tuesday, lawmakers from the SDSM group and Levica have moved a motion in Parliament to establish a parliamentary committee of inquiry into the Kochani nightclub fire, in response to requests from the bereaved families.

“We won’t give up on our intention to remain firmly in defense of public interest and justice. All democratic tools at disposal will be used for truth to finally come to light,” Filipche told the news conference.

Speaking to media outlets, VMRO-DPMNE MP Bojan Stojanoski said his party accepts the requests of SDSM and Levica noting, however, that any parliament hearing should be expanded to include all previous deadly tragedies.

Photo: MIA