North Macedonia: SDSM proposes minimum wage increase to 600 euros

Political tensions are rising in North Macedonia as the SDSM opposition party has submitted a law to increase the minimum wage to 600 euros (36,960 denars). SDSM leader Venko Filipce argued that the current minimum wage of 26,000 denars is insufficient to cover basic living costs, noting that the union basket has reached nearly 70,000 denars due to rising food and fuel prices.

Opposition members have criticized Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s government, accusing it of prioritizing luxury spending and state celebrations over worker welfare. Specifically, they pointed to approximately 5.5 million euros spent on independence celebrations and government privileges, contrasting this with the financial struggles of citizens.

Prime Minister Mickoski has responded by criticizing previous administrations, claiming that citizens are still paying the price for the policies of the Zayev and Kovachevski governments. Additionally, debates have surfaced regarding the transparency of state funds used for national celebrations and the management of state-owned enterprises like the State Lottery.