site.btaOpposition SDSM Chair Filipce Calls for Leaders’ Meeting in North Macedonia amid Tensions

North Macedonia’s opposition SDSM party is seriously concerned about incidents occurring in the country and warns of a rise of nationalist rhetoric. Its chairman Venko Filipce proposes a leaders’ meeting of the major parties which should issue a joint call to ease tensions.

Interviewed on MRT 1 television on December 2, Filipce said that North Macedonia generally sets a positive example in Europe of fine co-existence of ethnic communities, and it is politicians who cause tensions, so they should try to calm people down.

The call follows arrests made during and after celebrations of Albanian Independence Day and Flag Day in North Macedonia on November 28.

“If someone declines such a meeting, I will be very disappointed, and I will assume he expects some political gains from the situation,” Filipce commented, referring to a “highly charged atmosphere” in the country. He sees a risk of escalation.

Asked whether the events are politically motivated, Filipce said: “We should not leave room for speculation. We see that tensions are mounting. First, there was the flags incident, then the schools, and yesterday, cars and offices were set on fire. I think the situation is serious, and I insist that we behave responsibly and send out a strong political message.”

The opposition party leader believes that a proposed interpellation against Internal Affairs Minister Panche Toshkovski, as proposed by the largest ethnic Albanian party in North Macedonia, DUI, would not be a wise move.