SDSM rejects reform proposals from Platform, calls them 'ZNAM 2.0' attempt to split opposition

The Social Democratic Union (SDSM) issued a swift and sharp rebuttal after a group calling itself the Platform "Conversations about the Future at 12:05" submitted a set of reform proposals to the party archive on Bihacka.

SDSM calls the initiative "ZNAM 2.0" and accuses it of political engineering

SDSM said the document was treated as confidential when handed in, but its contents were immediately published in media outlets close to the government. The party dismissed the package as not aimed at genuine reform but at taking over and weakening the opposition front, labelling it "ZNAM 2.0."

According to SDSM, the initiative was signed by 17 people attempting to impose their will against more than 18,000 members who voted for the current party president, Venko Filipche. The leadership also accused the authors of pursuing personal calculations, financial interests and efforts to align with other political actors in order to split opposition votes along the lines of the ZNAM party model.

SDSM criticised the submitted paper for lacking concrete anti-corruption measures, deadlines for EU integration, or backing for the European Public Prosecutor. Instead, the party said, the proposals contained calls for resignations, convening a new congress and changing the party logo.

Responding to the proposals, SDSM said: "The party is not for sale and SDSM does not surrender to an advance. For us SDSM is not worth 1.6 million euros. We are for Europe, for truth and justice. Freedom of speech, freedom of the media, democracy, the European path and the future of our Macedonia have no price," rejecting the letter submitted by the Platform.

The Platform "Conversations about the Future at 12:05" confirmed via a post on its Facebook page that its reform proposals were delivered to SDSM's archive by Igor Ivanovski, Slavjanka Petrovska and Kosta Nachevski.

Photo: press material from the event