VMRO-DPMNE: Filipche said ‘Macedonia is not for sale’ after he and Zaev sold it off
The opposition says Filipche and Zaev ‘sold’ the country and replaced promises of free healthcare with kickbacks in procurements.
VMRO-DPMNE has accused Health Minister Venko Filipche of hypocrisy, saying he declared that “Macedonia is not for sale” even though, the party claims, Filipche and former prime minister Zoran Zaev “sold off” the country for personal and commercial gains.
Opposition lists alleged 'sales' and kickbacks
In a statement, VMRO-DPMNE said Filipche and Zaev changed the country's name and promised EU membership, but delivered only “a picture of an airplane.” The party also said that promises of free healthcare were replaced by corruption in health procurement: “Filipche and Zaev promised free health care, but we got kickbacks for vaccines, kickbacks for modular hospitals and kickbacks in tenders and procurements,” the opposition charged.
VMRO-DPMNE summarized its criticism with a pointed declaration: “Filipche said that Macedonia is not for sale after he and Zaev sold it off for an apartment, a building and a golden visa for Dubai.”
The opposition added a broader political critique: they accused Filipche of opposing major investment projects such as data centres, mines and factories while allegedly tolerating deals that benefited foreign companies and individuals. "With this, Filipche is directly against Macedonia. Filipche is bothered by Macedonia's success. That is why he is against data centres, mines and factories. Yet he is not against Bulgarian firms, golden visas and shares in Indian airlines. Also, Filipche is bothered by David Guetta, but not by Haris Dzinović. These are the double standards of Filipche and SDSM. That is why they will remain a perpetual marginal opposition," VMRO-DPMNE said.
The governing party responded by saying that Filipche had publicly stated Macedonia was not for sale, but — they allege — he had signed a blank sheet accepting Bulgarian demands. The exchange reflects rising tensions between VMRO-DPMNE and the ruling SDSM over questions of sovereignty, economic policy and alleged corruption.
Photo: press material from the event
