Corruption in Macedonia begins and ends with Zoran Zaev and the first echelon of his Government, and not, as Zaev claims, with the low level clerks, said VMRO-DPMNE spokesman Dimitar Arsovski. Zaev made the claim that the top of the Government is clean but the low levels of the public sector are corrupt, in order to deflect criticism after the latest US State Department report found that the problem of corruption is getting worse.

Zaev completely lacks shame and that shows how far gone is his Government and his party. Zaev apparently does not consider Den Doncev as part of the first echelon of the Government – the entire country saw the video of Doncev stuffing an envelope filled with cash in his bag. Or Dragi Raskovski, with his corrupt procurement deals. Or Mayor Petre Silegov, who overpaid for a fire-truck twice more than other cities did. Or Mayor Boro Stojcev, caught smuggling cigarettes to Bulgaria and exchanging fire with the police. Or the Special Prosecutor’s Office and their racketeering. It is clear that in the Republic of Macedonia, corruption is part of the Government’s program, Arsovski said, naming some of the many top associates of Prime Minister Zaev who have been charged or sentenced for corruption or, in Doncev’s case, fled the country.