Filipče: Orban, Vučić and Mickoski are like Russian "babushkas", the first one fell, now it's these two's turn

The leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), Venko Filipče, claims that Skopje, Belgrade and Budapest are connected through a network of political, media and business interests, in which Alta Bank, the energy sector and companies linked to former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán play an important role.

In an interview with Nova.rs, he says that "nothing will be swept under the rug."

He said that Orban, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and Macedonian Prime Minister and leader of the VMRO-DPMNE party Hristijan Mickoski are like Russian "babushka" dolls.

"Each one is smaller. The first one fell, now it's these two's turn," said Filipče.

Mr. Filipče, SDSM has been talking for months about the existence of a political-financial network connecting Viktor Orban, Aleksandar Vučić, and Hristijan Mickoski. What specifically do you base these claims on?

Filipče: We haven't been uncovering this network since yesterday. We've been uncovering it for months, and every new day brings new confirmations. To begin with, let me be clear – Hristijan Mickoski has long been called "little Vučić" in Macedonia. And that's no coincidence. The way he speaks, the way he behaves, and even the rhetoric he uses – it's a cheap copy of Aleksandar Vučić. If you look at politics, there's a complete copy-paste. The same division of the people into "patriots" – those who are for VMRO – and "traitors" – everyone else. The same rhetoric about the EU: "it's possible, but with dignity", "we won't let them threaten our identity", "we won't deviate even a millimeter"... The same idea that the entire region should join the EU together, without the right to vote – an idea that no one from the EU proposed, and Mickoski was the first to support it.

Sister parties, "brothers", with Orban as a "great friend". We had minimal cooperation with Hungary, and since Mickoski has been in power - new "projects" with Hungary are announced every day. We have been warning for months that all companies that "invest" have a direct connection with Orban - media, energy, railways, telecommunications, finance... We have been warning for months that everything will be blocked. Apparently, VMRO did not expect Orban's fall either.

And where has Nikola Gruevski been on the run for almost a decade? In Hungary, exactly. When he was fleeing, he passed through Serbia, and in Hungary he was granted political asylum. We have information that he has both a Serbian and a Hungarian passport. Do we need more evidence?

This is no coincidence. This is a political-financial network that connects Orban, Vučić, and Mickoski. And we will continue to expose it, because citizens deserve the truth.

SDSM claims that Orban controls a significant portion of the media space in North Macedonia. What is your strongest evidence for this?

Filipče: That is the easiest to prove. This network has existed for more than a decade and we have been following it for a long time. It is enough to look at the reports of independent investigative organizations from the region and Europe. In particular, OCCRP and BIRN have clearly shown the connections of Peter Seč and Agnes Adamik, who control about 40% of the media market in Macedonia. This is a direct connection to Orban.

Two people from the Hungarian national television have overnight become owners of television stations and portals in Slovenia – where they are connected to Janez Janša – and in Macedonia, where their directors and editors openly say that they are in the service of VMRO. We also have a criminal complaint against Alfa TV, where the investigation revealed that money from Hungary ended up in Macedonia via Slovenia – through false marketing campaigns that financed television stations and portals.

A month ago we filed a criminal complaint again, because for years no one in the prosecutor's office has taken any action. There is concrete evidence for this. We are not talking about conspiracy theories. We are talking about documented facts.

Your spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzeska stated that after Peter Magyar's announcements about the investigation of "Chinese money from a Hungarian loan", the unveiling of Viktor Orban's business network is beginning, which "the citizens of Macedonia will also see." What specific business network are you referring to, and are you claiming that Hristijan Mickoski and structures close to Aleksandar Vučić are also connected to it?

Filipče: With the fall of Hristijan Mickoski's friend and protector – Viktor Orban – the business network is beginning to be exposed, which will also be seen by the citizens of Macedonia. In addition to the connections with Orban, the new Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has announced a review of expensive international contracts for Chinese loans. This directly affects Macedonia and Macedonian citizens. Mickoski and the entire VMRO organized crime group are Orban's closest partners and friends in the Balkans. One of these expensive and non-transparent contracts was concluded by Hristijan Mickoski's government with Orban's government, indebting citizens to the tune of a billion euros.

The renowned media outlet Bloomberg reported two weeks ago that Hungary had revealed previously undisclosed details about a billion-euro loan that Orban's government took from China in 2024. We've been talking about this for more than a year. The same year that Mickoski took a loan from Hungary in the same amount. Hungary took the money from the China Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of China and the Hungarian branch of the Bank of China. The new information comes after Orban's election defeat. They hid costs, interest and one-time fees. Just like in Macedonia. There were hidden costs that the government never disclosed. More than a million euros were transferred for contractual services, tens of millions for commissions that were never found out about.

And it is still not known where that money ended up. Except that citizens will return it. We demand that investigations into Chinese money be launched in Macedonia as well. Everything that the Hungarian is now exposing in Hungary – money laundering, media control, secret deals, corruption – is directly mirrored in Macedonia.

There are many deals with Serbia, and the best proof is the honorary consul of Macedonia in Serbia, Dušan Adamović. A high-ranking SNS official, with a serious criminal past and connections to fan groups. The man has companies in Cyprus, and we have published a whole network of business connections and other companies around the energy business. In Macedonia, he is known as a close friend and business partner of Mickoski in energy-related businesses. This man was part of the VMRO campaign together with people from the SNS who worked on the 2024 campaign. He also posted photos on social networks of himself drinking champagne with Mickoski.

Later, before being appointed honorary consul, Dušan Adamović attended VMRO congresses, and today you can also see him at meetings with Miloš Vučević, president of the SNS, and on official party visits with Deputy Prime Minister Stoilković and Mickoski.

Stoilković is known for his connections with the BIA and his views on Russia. These views are also shared by Vučević and Adamović. Great love for Russia. From the offshore structure in Cyprus comes the company "Altaria Research Limited", which leads to "Rudnap Group", the energy holding of Serbian businessman Vojin Lazarević. The focus is the electricity business, and as we will discover - also other businesses indirectly related to electricity. The connection with Mickoski's government is direct. Mickoski has another of his people here - Minister of Energy Sanja Božinovska, who is directly connected to "Rudnap". She was the executive director of "Rudnap Group" and the manager of "Rudnap DOOEL Skopje".

SDSM has publicly mentioned the names of people it associates with Alta Bank and VMRO-DPMNE. Do you expect investigations by the Macedonian prosecutor's office?

Filipče: Yes, we have publicly mentioned specific names of people who are directly connected to Alta Bank and the VMRO-DPMNE structures. Half of VMRO is practically in Alta Bank. They recently bought a block of shares from Saša Mijalkov, the former director of the Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence, a man who was convicted and served his sentence. This is not a coincidence.

The governor from VMRO practically works in the service of Alta Bank. Everything he does, he does in the interest of that bank and the people behind it. We have been publicly pointing out this connection for months: that Alta Bank serves as a channel for financing Orban's media network in Macedonia, that funds are transferred through it for media control, that it is the central link between Hungarian, Serbian and domestic structures. Do we expect investigations by the Macedonian prosecutor's office? Unfortunately, we do not expect them at this moment. The prosecutor's office is under the complete control of Mickoski. You know, here the prime minister threatens the opposition with the prosecutor's office, announces arrests. He assigns tasks to the prosecutor via the parliament speaker, via the media, and now officially by phone, as Mickoski himself stated a few days ago.

What can I explain to you, you have it every day with Vučić in Serbia. As I said, everything here is copy-paste, only a weaker and worse copy. Therefore, until this autocratic regime changes, until power is returned to the hands of the citizens, nothing will happen. The policy of plundering our people will only continue.

We will continue to present facts and evidence to the public. We have formed an anti-corruption team that collects and processes data from all over Macedonia on a daily basis through the Micko.mk platform. All of this will one day be material for a free prosecutor's office. Citizens deserve to know who controls the banks, media and money in this country.

If SDSM comes to power again, what would you specifically do regarding the controversial banking, media and infrastructure arrangements?

Filipče: Today we are presenting a new law that will be the basis for a large civic front. This law unites all pro-European independent parties in Macedonia. In addition to the parties, we also have a large number of people who have joined this fight against the organized crime group VMRO - young people, individuals, experts, the non-governmental sector...

It is a law on zero tolerance for crime and corruption, modeled on the Estonian model. Estonia was a country similar to us, which in the post-communist period fought crime and corruption, just as we fight today. If the model worked for them, and from a country that was among the last on the lists and is now considered one of the best – then it can work for us too.

As for the media, it is enough to look at where Macedonia was on the media freedom lists during Gruevski's time, and where during the SDSM government. At least we don't have to talk about it. Here, in just two years, VMRO has managed to destroy that progress again. Of course, for us, media freedom is one of our priorities. That is why the first thing will be to free the media immediately after winning the next elections.

The law on zero tolerance towards crime and corruption and freedom of the media – these will be the first tasks of the future government. A government that will work in the interests of Macedonia and its citizens, not foreign services and foreign countries. Everything else is clear to you regarding the arrangements that were made – those who made them will be held accountable.

Of course, we will open an audit of all the controversial transactions related to Alta Bank, Hungarian loans and telecommunications licenses. Alta Bank has already been stopped by the European Central Bank, due to doubts about the origin of the money when trying to buy a European bank. This is the bank that will be on the list for detailed verification. I believe that it will also be in the spotlight in Serbia, given its closeness to Vučić and the SNS.

Regarding the Hungarian loans, I believe that the new Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar will soon release the data, as investigations are underway – especially for 4iG, whose contract has already been called into question. We have been warning the public for months that the 4iG company is directly linked to Orban and will serve as a platform for Orban's media network.

It is enough to ask the question: what does Macedonia need a fourth mobile operator for? Everything will be clear to you. Now that the Hungarians are opening investigations in Hungary, we expect a complete review of all these arrangements to be opened in Macedonia as well.

Everything will be reviewed. All suspicious transactions, loans, licenses and media connections – nothing will be swept under the rug. Citizens deserve the truth, and those who have abused the state and public money – deserve responsibility.

VMRO-DPMNE claims that you are criminalizing any cooperation with Serbia and Hungary. How do you respond to these accusations?

Filipče: You know how Orban – Vučić – Mickoski are like those Russian "babushka" dolls. Each one is smaller. The first one fell, now it's these two's turn. And let me not say that I didn't directly respond to the accusations: An organized crime group accuses us of criminalizing any of their cooperation?

I'll tell you two things. First: I don't know if there are sister parties anywhere in the world that have five tons of drugs across the border, while they completely control the police, customs, prosecutors and courts, without anyone being held accountable. That probably happened in Venezuela. Second: I think your media has a better answer to this question than I do.