Outrage ensued after a leaked tape revealed SDSM party leader Zoran Zaev in a conversation in which a slur was used for ethnic Albanians. Zaev’s interlocutor uses the widely known slur while Zaev responds that “they are worthless”, later claiming that he was talking about the electoral potential of the ethnic Albanian DUI party.

A notable comment came from former Ambassador Arsim Zekoli, who is an ethnic Albanian.

Why are you surprised at the bile coming from Zaev?A person who doesn’t love what is his won’t love what is someone else’s, Zekoli said.

His referrence is clearly aimed at Zaev’s readiness to concede on Macedonian national interest issues, such as redefining the Macedonian national identity, the language, and renaming the country.