Macedonian basketball players lost a test match against Bulgaria in Samokov

The political landscape in North Macedonia has recently been stirred by allegations made by the VMRO-DPMNE party regarding the stance of Venko Filipčev, the leader of the Social Democratic Union (SDSM), on national identity and foreign policy. According to VMRO-DPMNE, Filipčev is willing to compromise on Macedonian identity solely to attain power. The party claims that Filipčev does not defend the national interests and identity of Macedonia but instead prioritizes his personal political career. They argue that Filipčev is prepared to go even further than Zoran Zaev, the former prime minister, in meeting demands that directly affect Macedonian national interests.

VMRO-DPMNE points out that while Bulgaria continues to deny the Macedonian language, falsify history, and challenge the Macedonian identity, Filipčev remains indifferent. Instead of clearly and loudly defending the state's and national positions, Filipčev relativizes the insults and minimizes the threats facing Macedonia. According to VMRO-DPMNE, there are no red lines for Filipčev—no question he is unwilling to address and no national interest he would not sacrifice if he believes it will gain him support from centers of power that have long exerted pressure on Macedonia.

The party further states that Filipčev’s approach is nothing more than a continuation of the policies of the SDSM, which led to humiliations, concessions, and damage to Macedonian national positions. However, Filipčev is now showing even greater willingness to make new concessions and suffer new defeats compared to Zaev. VMRO-DPMNE criticizes Filipčev for choosing to be an advocate for Bulgarian demands, being most vocal when conditions from Sofia need to be justified but most silent when it comes to defending Macedonia. The citizens remember well the policies of Zaev and the SDSM, and they will not allow the same policy of national concessions to return under a new name and with a new executive. VMRO-DPMNE asserts that the era of humiliation is over, and the citizens will know who defends Macedonia and who is ready to sell it for a political position.

In another development, the Macedonian basketball team faced a significant defeat against Bulgaria in Samokov during their first control match of this cycle. The team, coached by Josep Maria Beroka, lost to Bulgaria with a score of 97-68. The Macedonian squad played with an incomplete and younger lineup due to several standard representatives being unavailable. Key players such as captain Vojdan Stojanovski, Andrej Jakimovski, and a naturalized player who was part of the coaching staff's plans were absent. This allowed the home team to dominate the game from the start, establishing an eight-point lead after the first ten minutes (28-20).

Bulgaria continued to control the game throughout, and Macedonia struggled with scoring issues, leading to a halftime deficit of 50-37. In the second half, the situation did not improve significantly for Macedonia. Despite efforts to find rhythm, the team had difficulty converting opportunities. In the third quarter, Macedonia managed to score 16 points, while Bulgaria responded with 25, extending their lead to 75-53 heading into the final quarter. Bulgaria maintained their dominance in the closing period, securing a decisive victory with a final score of 97-68.

Several players contributed to Macedonia's effort, including Viktor Efremovski, who scored 13 points along with three assists and two rebounds. Viktor Tashkovski added 12 points, complemented by three assists and two rebounds. Toma Stojanovski scored nine points with two rebounds and two assists, while Luka Stojanovski contributed eight points with two rebounds and one assist.

VMRO-DPMNE also highlighted that Filipčev is following the same trajectory as Zaev regarding Bulgaria. They noted that the recent constitutional changes aimed at changing the country's name were initiated by Zaev, who served as a mentor to Filipčev. The party argues that the SDSM came to power after losing elections with false promises about a European future, and now Filipčev is attempting to sell the same narrative again. VMRO-DPMNE claims that the SDSM has blocked Macedonia's path toward EU integration because neither the previous nor the current composition of the SDSM prioritizes national interests or the Macedonian identity.

According to VMRO-DPMNE, Filipčev is trying to impose the same scenario with Bulgaria. They pointed out that the official stance in Sofia is that the Macedonian language is a dialect of Bulgarian, that Macedonians and Bulgarians are the same people living in two countries, and that Macedonian revolutionaries are Bulgarians. Over months, Filipčev has been accommodating Bulgaria, engaging with Rumen Radev, and making public statements aligned with the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offering himself to them in some way to sell out, knowing that the Macedonian electorate has given clear messages in several consecutive elections and understands that the people will not vote for him.

VMRO-DPMNE stated that Filipčev, at the head of the SDSM, is prepared to redefine Macedonian history because he dreams of becoming prime minister. Following Zaev's example, Filipčev says he is ready for another national concession that would enable him to achieve this position. He claims that if it were up to him, he would immediately include Bulgarians in the constitution without further guarantees. From this, it can be concluded that Filipčev is following exactly the same steps as Zaev. He claims that the Macedonian identity is not threatened, which completely contradicts the ultimatums that Bulgaria has imposed on Macedonia during the European integration process.

VMRO-DPMNE further argued that Filipčev would choose to serve foreign countries, fulfill foreign agendas, and it is evident that the highest leadership of the SDSM aligns with this, considering that members of the SDSM International Office are constantly in communication with controversial figures and individuals whose sole purpose is to spread Bulgarian propaganda in Macedonia. However, this will not pass, according to VMRO-DPMNE. Filipčev and the SDSM underestimate the citizens. The citizens will not allow another Zaev to occur in Macedonia, will not allow another national concession, will not allow further devaluation of Macedonia, trading national interests, or redefining Macedonian history. The people want a predictable European integration path with clear red lines, not someone who behaves like a special Bulgarian representative in Macedonia and supports anti-state policies solely to come to power and then empty the state treasury.