"Is everything OK" — Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski pauses statement in Prilep
The prime minister paused a press statement after a woman in the audience became unwell; the mayor said her condition quickly normalized.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski halted a media statement in Prilep on Friday after someone in the crowd appeared to feel unwell, asking aloud, "Is everything OK?" before checking on the person.
At the moment of the interruption Mickoski was answering a question about whether the Government is considering procurement of new firefighting aircraft. He turned aside, observed the scene behind him and asked that a woman present be given water.
People nearby urged that cameras be switched off, and the official livestream of the event on YouTube was stopped. The recording was briefly removed from the government channel; later in the morning the channel restored the Prilep clips but only up to the moment the prime minister paused his remarks.
Prilep’s mayor Dejan Prodanoski described the interruption as a courteous response by the prime minister and said the incident was not serious. He told reporters: "Nothing serious, one of those present felt unwell. Water was given, after about thirty seconds the condition normalized. I don't know exactly what the cause was, but nothing serious."
Mickoski was in Prilep to inspect reconstruction work on the water supply network along Kuzman Josifovski Street and the construction of the roundabout at the Tabana bridge. After the incident, statements were made by Mayor Dejan Prodanoski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski and by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, who did not finish answering reporters' questions.
No further information about the condition of the person who felt unwell was released at the scene.
Photo: press material from the event
