Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond died while trying to open a ketchup bottle during a meal organized by the Academy of Cultural Diplomacy in North Macedonia last Saturday. According to witnesses, his Alba Party colleague Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, with whom he traveled to the city of Ohrid, had trouble opening the ketchup bottle and Salmond offered to help her when he suddenly collapsed in front of dozens of guests after suffering a heart attack at that moment.
The former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and architect of the 2014 independence referendum received emergency medical assistance at the Inex Olgica hotel, where the meal took place, but was declared dead half an hour later. His death at the age of 69 caused a great shock in Scotland, where Salmond had recently participated in events commemorating the tenth anniversary of the independence referendum (in which remaining in the United Kingdom prevailed with 55% to 45% of the votes).
Mark Donfried, director of the Academy of Cultural Diplomacy, described Salmond's death scene in an interview with Times Radio: "He was eating quietly and trying to open the bottle when he suddenly fell off the chair. Time stood still for 30 minutes as they tried to resuscitate him. All the guests at the hotel were left in a state of shock".
Apparently, Salmond had confided to members of his delegation that he felt pain in one leg on Saturday morning. According to his friend David Davis, a veteran Conservative MP, the trial for 14 allegations of attempted rape and sexual harassment during his time as First Minister (in which he was ultimately acquitted) had had "a serious impact on his health" both physically and mentally.
For years, Salmond engaged in a personal and political battle with his protégée and successor Nicola Sturgeon, whom he accused of orchestrating a political vendetta against him. He left the SNP ranks and founded the Alba Party with a handful of loyal followers, although he failed to surpass the 5% threshold and remained without representation in Westminster in the last elections.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, praised Salmond's political figure during a tribute in Parliament on Monday: "He served the people of Scotland in this Chamber for 30 years and was First Minister for two terms. He tirelessly advocated for Scottish independence and secured an agreement with the British Government to hold the 2014 referendum, playing a key role in the campaign for the yes (for independence). He leaves us a profound and lasting legacy".
From Moscow, the director of the state-owned RT channel, Margarita Simonyan, curiously joined the tributes by recalling how Salmond ended up having his own show on Kremlin television after resigning as First Minister: "Eternal memory to an infinitely brave man, almost in the Russian style, a tireless fighter for the independence of his native Scotland".