VMRO-DPMNE member of Parliament Antonio Milososki asked Zoran Zaev to confirm if it’s true that his foreign policy adviser Ljupco Zafirovski has outstanding debts in Macedonia and therefore collects his salary in neighboring Serbia. Zafirovski was appointed because of his alleged ties to the office of French President Emmanuel Macron, Zaev said at the time, and Milososki asked him to also explain what are the benefits from his work.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has received a letter confirming that Ljupco Zafirovski, Zaev’s special adviser for liaison wioth President Macron, lied when he said that he lives in Paris. Zaev lied about this too. Ljupco Zafirovski has debts in Macedonia, and because of this has no bank accounts in the country. His montly salary worth 1.200 EUR is paid through a bank in Serbia, which constitutes fraud toward his lenders, a fraud in which the Prime Minister is an accomplice. In short, hiring such advisers is an embarrassment for Macedonia and an insult for France, Milososki said.

Speaking in the Parliament, Zaev replied that he is not an investigator to determine where his adviser lives and if he has unpaid debts.

I will not be investigating whether somebody has a bank account in the country or abroad. When he was hired he presented his bank account and that is where he receives the money. He spends some of his time in France, and also resides in Macedonia as well, Zaev said.

France is the most outspoken critic of Macedonia’s EU accession and led the opposition during the recent European Council, when Macedonia was not given approval to open the EU accession talks in June.