Maksim Dimitrievski, the Mayor of Kumanovo, was summoned to a police station to be interrogated about alleged violations of the law during the payment of municipal employees. Dimitrievski informed the public about this and insists that this is an attempt by the Government to put pressure on him.

The goal is clear, I’m under continuous pressure and the goal is to distract me from my everyday activities, Dimitrievski said, blaming frequent anonymous reports made against him by his political opponents. He urged the police to investigate the source of these allegations instead of constantly going after him.

Dimitrievski was part of the ruling SDSM party, but had a major falling out with the Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, which prompted him to leave the party and form his separate movement. Despite strong pressure from the Government, he ran an independent campaign in the local elections in 2021 and won, depriving SDSM of one of their main local bases of power. Dimitrievski is now planning to run in the next general elections as leader of a new party, and he is critical of SDSM for their constant concessions toward neighboring countries – currently mainly Bulgaria.