Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska did not attend the awarding ceremony for the 13th November prize this weekend, that is given in honor of the World War Two liberation of the capital.

The list of recipients was controversial – it included Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce even after the disastrous hospital fire in Tetovo that killed 14 patients and their family members, who were treated in a makeshift hospital that was apparently built from highly flammable materials. Filipce offered his resignation under public pressure, but Prime Minister Zaev refused to accept it and employed Filipce as a surrogate during the local elections campaign. Mayor Arsovska was viciously attacked by Zaev during the election campaign.

Another controversial recipient is former Foreign Minister Denko Maleski, who went from being an outspoken supporter of the pro-Serbian regime in Macedonia and of keeping Macedonia as part of Yugoslavia, to fully endorsing Bulgarian positions about the origin of the Macedonian nation.