North Macedonia PM Christian Micc defends €4.6bn debt repayment claim as opposition challenges figures

Prime Minister Christian Micc told the interview program “Kade se pari” that his government has repaid about €4.6 billion of old debt in its first two years, that the budget is filling as planned and that the debt‑to‑GDP ratio has fallen despite the energy crisis.

The opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) rejects those numbers, citing Ministry of Finance data that only €660 million was actually repaid and that new borrowing of more than €1.76 billion was taken to refinance old loans, raising the overall public debt by over €2.5 billion. SDSM accuses the government of misleading the public and calls the claim a “refinancing trick,” not a genuine debt reduction.

Amid the dispute, SDSM also alleges that the government is politically isolated, has failed to improve living standards, and is preparing for early elections because of the lack of results. Micc says there is no plan for snap elections but the government is ready if the opposition forces one.