Hungary's new leader hasn't even entered his office, and he is already sending messages to Skopje — twofold. First: Hungary plans to maintain good relations with Macedonia. Second: Hungary must not be a refuge for international criminals. That applies to Mr. Nikola Gruevski too.

At the press conference, the new Hungarian leader clarifies that the change of government does not automatically mean inheriting Orban's relationships with Balkan countries. The fact that Viktor Orban's government had close relations with some country in the Balkans does not mean Hungary will have the same relations with that country, he said.

Gruevski: from protected to unwanted

But the second part of the message is crystal clear. The new leader calls Gruevski a former North Macedonian prime minister and a criminal — and signals that Hungary must no longer be a refuge for convicted persons. This is a direct reversal of Orban's policy, which granted Gruevski asylum in Budapest in 2018.

SDSM reacted immediately: Gruevski and Mickoski are left without Orban — time for accountability. The opposition reads this as the end of the era of protection. Whether extradition actually follows, or Hungary's new leader is merely setting conditions for negotiation — that is the question Skopje is waiting to have answered.

One thing is certain: for Gruevski, Budapest has shifted from haven to minefield. And for Macedonia's political scene, this is an earthquake whose aftershocks are still being felt.