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The Mayor of Skopje, Danela Arsovska – who holds Bulgarian citizenship – was attacked in broad daylight while carrying out her official duties in the city’s Cair district. The incident occurred during an inspection targeting illegal construction activities near a local police station. According to her account, she was assaulted with punches and kicks and subjected to threats of rape and murder, all in the presence of police officers who, she said, stood by without intervening. Arsovska later received treatment at the Emergency Center of Skopje’s September 8 General Hospital.
The attack has drawn sharp reactions, including from Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev (EPP/GERB), who publicly urged Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian embassy in Skopje to take immediate action by offering Arsovska legal, consular, and moral support. Kovachev expressed concern over what he described as a pattern of intimidation and violence against Bulgarian citizens in North Macedonia who occupy prominent public roles and openly identify as Bulgarians. He cited this as part of a broader campaign of pressure that has led many ethnic Bulgarians in North Macedonia to conceal or deny their identity.
In his statement, Kovachev also referenced other public figures who, like Arsovska, have faced hostility due to their Bulgarian origin. These include Energy Minister Sanya Bozhinovska, members of parliament from the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, and individuals connected to both current and former prime ministers. He emphasized that the Bulgarian state has a responsibility to safeguard the rights and dignity of the more than 216,000 citizens of Bulgarian descent in North Macedonia who have voluntarily obtained Bulgarian citizenship based on documented lineage.
Arsovska has been under public and political attack since her 2021 mayoral campaign, when she was nominated by VMRO-DPMNE but faced criticism from then-Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. After taking office, her relationship with VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski rapidly deteriorated, especially after she refused to fall in line with his directives. The pressure intensified once Mickoski assumed control of the executive branch.
In recent weeks, Arsovska has filed multiple reports with the Macedonian Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Prosecutor for Organized Crime and Corruption. She alleges that efforts have been made to legalize illegal structures through forged documents, some reportedly filed by individuals who were minors at the time the permits were supposedly issued. Macedonian law only allows the legalization of buildings constructed before 2011.
Following the incident in Cair, the Macedonian Ministry of Interior confirmed that two individuals involved in the attack were detained. Bulgarian media such as BGNES have drawn attention to the parallels between this case and earlier incidents, including the arson of the Ivan Mihailov Cultural Club and the assault on Hristijan Pendikov, another Bulgarian citizen.