EU demands Hungary explain why Gruevski granted asylum

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban needs to offer a “sound explanation” of his country’s decision to grant political asylum to the former prime minister of the ex Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the European Union’s head of membership bids tweeted on Wednesday.

Nikola Gruevski, who fled FYROM after being sentenced to two years in prison on corruption-related charges, said on Tuesday that he had been granted political asylum in Hungary.

Johannes Hahn, the European commissioner responsible for EU enlargement negotiations, tweeted that he had seen reports about the asylum granted in EU member Hungary.

“If confirmed, I expect a sound explanation of its grounds by @Viktor_Orban,” his tweet read.

FYROM was officially recognized as a candidate to join the EU in 2005, but has not started accession talks. [Reuters]