North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski commented on 26 November 2025 on the physical attack against journalist Vladimir Perev, an incident that has drawn official reactions from Bulgaria and raised questions regarding its potential impact on North Macedonia’s EU accession process.

Veteran Journalist Vladimir Perev Reports Physical Attack in Skopje Grocery Store

On 24 November 2025, Vladimir Perev, an 80-year-old Macedonian-Bulgarian veteran journalist known for his pro-EU and pro-NATO positions and for reporting on Macedonian–Bulgarian relations, stated that he was attacked in a supermarket in Aerodrom, Skopje.

According to Perev, a man described as being in his 40s with a strong build approached him, verbally threatened him, made statements referring to his Bulgarian identity, and then physically assaulted him, breaking his glasses. Perev reported the incident to Police Station Beko in Skopje.

In a column published in Tribuna.mk, Perev stated that the attacker used explicitly anti-Bulgarian language.
According to Perev’s account, the man told him: “You Bulgarians should go back to Bulgaria… I don’t want to hear the word ‘Macedonian’ from your filthy Bulgarian mouth… If I ever hear you speak about Macedonians or call yourself a Macedonian, I will kill you… you will hang like all fascists.”

These statements were part of the verbal harassment that preceded the physical assault.

Following the assault, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev publicly stated that incidents of this nature hinder the European integration process of North Macedonia. They called for legal action and “prosecution of such cases,” expressing concern for the safety of journalists and citizens identifying with Bulgarian heritage in the country.

Asked to comment on the Bulgarian reactions, the Prime Minister dismissed claims that the incident constituted a targeted attack connected to broader political or hybrid operations.

He stated:

“Now someone might get wet from the rain outside and present it as a hybrid attack by the government allegedly threatening the integration process. If someone decides to injure themselves and present it as an attack — hybrid or otherwise — do not expect that there will not be constructions and engineering. I fully reject that any attack was carried out against the person you mentioned, and I had consultations yesterday regarding this.”

Mickoski also rejected the assertion that the assault, as reported, had been confirmed by authorities.

With his statement, Prime Minister Mickoski appeared to hint that the Bulgarian journalist was not attacked at all, indirectly tying the reported incident to broader bilateral dynamics with Bulgaria and to the French proposal embedded in North Macedonia’s 2022 negotiating framework. Such rhetoric, critics warn, risks undermining the country’s European integration trajectory and may deepen domestic hostility toward citizens identifying as Bulgarian, potentially reinforcing a climate of impunity around similar incidents.

As of 26 November 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia has not issued an official statement or comment regarding the reported attack or the status of the investigation.