Former North Macedonian PM Details His Flight to Hungary

Former North Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski pictured in 2013 attending a meeting of the European People’s Party. (Wikimedia Commons)

Former North Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski detailed his decision to seek asylum in Hungary during an interview with North Macedonia’s Sitel TV on February 2, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). It was his first TV appearance since fleeing North Macedonia in November 2018.

Balkan Insight reports that, during the interview, Gruevski revealed that he had initially planned to turn himself in after a North Macedonian court convicted him of corruption. However, he changed his mind after “receiv[ing] information about [his] planned liquidation in jail” from “reliable sources” and from “persons well informed about the conditions inside the jail.” He did not explain the motives behind the alleged plot and declined to name the mastermind behind it, RFE/RL reports.

Gruevski believes he was “unjustly convicted” with “all the absurdities… for [him] to go to prison,” according to the Independent Balkan News Agency (IBNA).

IBNA reports that Gruevski found the process of seeking political asylum in Hungary “very [easy].” After departing for Albania, he submitted an application to the Hungarian Embassy in Tirana. He then “embarked on a journey to Hungary, which involved trips prepared according to their internal consultations due to the fact that [he] had served as prime minister for many years,” said Gruevski. He intends to return to North Macedonia in the future.

According to RFE/RL, a North Macedonian court convicted Gruevski of purchasing a €600,000 ($680,000) Mercedes with state funds for personal travel. He was said to have strong ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and opposed efforts to further integrate North Macedonia with NATO and the European Union. According to ABC News, North Macedonian prosecutors found no evidence of him receiving help from North Macedonian officials.

North Macedonia has issued an international arrest warrant and requested Gruevski’s extradition, ABC News reports.