North Macedonia faces political clash over debt and corruption

North Macedonia is facing intense political friction over national debt and allegations of corruption. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski announced plans for continued capital investments, including half a billion euros for municipalities and new ecological buses, asserting that the government is stabilizing a state he claims was left in ruin by previous administrations.

In contrast, the opposition party SDSM has accused the government of leading the country toward a record public debt of nearly 12 billion euros, which could reach 65% of GDP by 2026. SDSM leaders, including Venko Filipche, claim a new 1.3 billion euro debt was not included in the budget rebalance and have questioned the legality of this borrowing.

Simultaneously, allegations of corruption have surfaced regarding the Ministry of Digital Transformation. SDSM claims that 1.5 million euros in tenders were awarded to companies with ties to the spouse of a state secretary. VMRO-DPMNE has rejected these claims, stating that all public procurement processes were conducted legally and that the accusations are politically motivated insinuations.