Public Administration Minister Damjan Mancevski, known for his frequent attacks on the critical media, used the coronavirus press conference for a tirade against Republika, Kurir and Netpress.
Mancevski was asked a broad question about the possible economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic. The SDSM led Government has refused to consider proposals from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party for economic measures that would help the worst hit companies and would delay payments of loan rates and mortgages for the families. Instead of addressing the economic impact of the crisis, Mancevski chose to attack the few remaining critical media outlets, with a by now familiar allegation – that we are funded from Hungary.

I want to focus on certain media outlets that want to create panic, and I will speak directly about them. Kurir, Republika and Netpress are coordinated sources of fake news funded by a center of economic power that is in Budapest and has full control over the VMRO-DPMNE party, Mancevski said.

Republika is asking Mancevski to cite the fake news he says we have published. More broadly, we ask who gave this Minister the authority to declare which media outlet is qualified to do its job. Mancevski is not paid by the citizens to engage in parisan politics but to inform the citizens on issues of public interest. This includes reports that the Government would rather suppress for reasons linked to its own political gain. News that the Government doesn’t like are not by definition fake news.

Our obligation is to inform the citizens and that is what we are doing – a public service. The Government is failing at its job, the citizens are dissatisfied and that can’t be covered up by denigrating the media outlets that are still not placed under the Government’s control.
This is not the first time attempts are made by the ruling party to silence Republika. We haven’t succumbed yet, and we won’t do so now. Mancevski’s statement goes to show that we are living in a repressive society.

In the past Mancevski didn’t think twice before declaring that Macedonia is governed by a regime. What is this system we have now, where the Government is trying to silence media outlets declaring them to be fake news? Republika is obviously the thorn in the side of the ruling SDSM party, and has faced both regulatory and financial assaults, but it continues to shape the public opinion in the Republic of Macedonia. The public and the diplomatic corps are informed about the threats, blackmail and lawsuits our journalists and reporters have faced, and the attempts to discredit our editors. We will not be bowed.