Former SDSM top official Petre Silegov lashed out at his party, accusing the new leadership of holding it captive. He also sent out a cryptic message hinting at possible movement against the newly elected leader Venko Filipce, in March.

Let’s not kid ourselves. SDSM is a captive party since 2019. It had two imposed leaders from the southern parts of the country. They are not SDSM. They are small time retailers, Silegov said, before announcing that changes will come in the spring.

Silegov, who is the former Mayor of Skopje, is seen as close to the elitist Skopje faction of the party, usually seen as led by Radmila Sekerinska, while Filipce was appointed to the party leadership with the help of former party leader Zoran Zaev, whose powerbase is in the south-east and in the rural areas.

SDSM spokeswoman Bogdanka Kuzeska responded to Silegov. In her statement, she insisted that Filipce was democratically elected to lead the party. “No-one can deny his legitimacy. We have no intention to get involved in personal attacks, and we remain committed to the principles of democracy”, Kuzevska told Silegov.