North Macedonia political dispute over data center construction

The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) has criticized the government's policies regarding the construction of data centers, warning that such investments threaten the nation's water and energy security. Keti Shterjova of SDSM stated that large data centers consume between 1 and 3 million liters of water daily, comparable to a city of 15,000 to 30,000 residents. The opposition argues that North Macedonia's current infrastructure cannot handle this pressure and warns that the country may be forced to import more electricity, leading to higher utility bills for citizens.

In response, the VMRO-DPMNE party accused the opposition of spreading fear. They clarified that the government is not promoting commercial data centers for profit, but rather planning to build a National Data Center to centralize state data with higher security standards. VMRO-DPMNE emphasized that this initiative aims to create a modern, energy-efficient infrastructure to improve digital transformation, noting that the project's goals align with European Commission reports for 2025 and will be supported by international grants and favorable financing.