Venko Filipche: After Vučić and Orbán, Mickoski is next as the Balkan criminal octopus unravels

Venko Filipche, leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), praised the recent election outcome in Serbia and described it as a regional shift away from what he called criminal, authoritarian networks. Filipche spoke at a press conference today, 26 October 2026, and congratulated Serbian citizens for what he termed a restoration of democratic balance.

At the event Filipche said the regional change was not about celebrating someone else’s vote but about a broader democratic wave. He argued that the business, political and media ties surrounding Aleksandar Vučić — and until recently Viktor Orbán — have supported the political model replicated in North Macedonia under Hristijan Mickoski.

Filipche accused Vučić of being a mentor who showed Mickoski how to run that system, and said the model had been implemented in Macedonia. He called VMRO-DPMNE “a smaller appendage of the Serbian SNS” and reiterated accusations his party has been making about links between domestic power and criminal or business interests in Serbia.

Allegations on banks, media and smuggling

Filipche listed a number of examples he said demonstrated those ties: suspicious electricity deals involving Minister Sanja Bozhinovska, links through the company Rudnap to Russian and Serbian interests, and the controversial status of honorary consul Dušan Adamović. He also referred to past cases involving high-ranking Serbian officials and said companies in North Macedonia connected to people close to Mickoski took part in a transfer of five tons of drugs.

He described the narcotics allegation in strong terms: "We pointed to the smuggling, or probably an arranged transfer of the drugs across the border. Five tons of drugs, in which the correspondence some time ago showed that all from the government in Serbia were involved in the narco-business from the highest level through the directors of the BIA and Gašić and Vulin. The people who here had meetings with Hristijan Mickoski and with Maxim Dimitrievski," Filipche said.

Filipche also criticized the entry of Alta Bank into the Macedonian market, noting that the bank had been barred from entry in Montenegro and other European countries yet was allowed to buy a bank and an insurance company in North Macedonia. He accused unregistered Serbian media outlets and news houses of running smear campaigns against him and the opposition.

He warned that even allies abroad were now investigating questionable financing: he said Hungary’s new prime minister had opened an inquiry into Chinese funds connected to a €1 billion loan that, according to Filipche, burdens future generations in North Macedonia. "For what? For partisan tenders and for kickbacks, for nothing else. One billion euros that future generations will repay," he said.

Addressing Hristijan Mickoski directly, Filipche accused him of using a Serbian recipe to fragment the opposition by creating and supporting smaller parties such as ZNAM and Levica and by trying to form new factions. "I publicly, clearly and loudly tell him: division will not succeed. SDSM is the only credible and uncontrolled opposition in the country. The only alliance we make is with the citizens for a developed and European Macedonia," he said.

Filipche closed by promising that, should his party return to power, those responsible will be held accountable and any stolen public funds will be returned. "Not only will there be accountability, they will return money. All, down to the last denar, that they stole from the budget from the future of these children and families and citizens should know that they will return it from that fight. No one will make us change our minds or make us give up," he said.

Photo: press material from the event