Hungary's Orban Cheers For Gruevski in Macedonia Election

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovenia's former PM Janez Jansa have given a hearty boost to Macedonia's ousted leader Nikola Gruevski in the run-up to Macedonia's local elections.

In the resort town of Ohrid, the three of them held a joint press conference accompanied by some of Gruevski's VMRO DPMNE mayoral candidates.

Orban said the region needed "success stories" and added that "while Gruevski was in power, Macedonia was such a success story. Macedonia will become an EU member only if this success story continues."

Gruevski held power from 2006 until May this year. Macedonia has been an EU candidate since 2005, but its progress has been blocked ever since, partly because of a dispute with Greece over its name.

Orban, well known for his trenchant nationalist views, praised Gruevski for taking the tough decision in 2016 to close the country's border's against migrants passing through the Balkans to Western Europe.

"We count on Macedonia's role in preventing this swarm [of migrants] and that's why I always supported and will continue supporting Gruevski, because he is the kind of politician who holds his nation's interests above all else," Orban said.

Orban and Jansa visited Macedonia in their capacities as leaders of their respective nationalist conservative parties, the Fidesz party and the Slovenian Democratic Party.

Jansa also praised Gruevski and his party for their past achievents during 11 years of power.

"I will wish you good luck and may you have good candidates. I know what progress has been made in the municipalities that were led by VMRO DPMNE mayors so far," Jansa said.

Calling for fair and democratic elections, Jansa warned also against possible misuses by the new...

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