Skopje, 24 June 2024 (MIA) - Hristijan Mickoski will officially begin his term as Prime Minister on Monday. A handover ceremony is set to take place in the Government, with outgoing caretaker PM Talat Xhaferi to hand over the post, followed by a brief meeting.

Handover ceremonies will also take place in the Government ministries.

Late on Sunday, the Parliament elected the new government with 77 votes in favor and 22 against. SDSM and Levica MPs voted against the new government, whereas European Front MPs left the session shortly before it ended.

The government includes 24 ministers coming from the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition 'Your Macedonia', the 'Worth It' coalition, and ZNAM.

VMRO-DPMNE's ministers in the government are Panche Toshkovski as the new Minister of Interior, Timcho Mucunski - Foreign Minister, Gordana Kochoska Dimitrieska - Finance Minister, Vlado Misajlovski - Defense Minister, Aleksandar Nikolovski - Deputy PM and Minister of Transport, Stefan Andonovski - Minister of Information Society and Digital Transformation, Zlatko Perinski - Minister of Local Self-Government, Sanja Bozhinovska - Minister of Energy, Mining and Minerals, Cvetan Tripunovski - Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Vesna Janevska - Minister of Education and Science, Zoran Ljutkov - Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Borko Ristovski - Minister of Sport.

Ljupcho Dimovski of the Socialist Party is the Deputy PM for Political System, Ivan Stoiljkovic of the Democratic Party of Serbs - Deputy PM for Community Relations, while Shaban Saliu - Minister without Portfolio for integration and implementation of Roma Decade.

The 'Worth It' coalition has Izet Mexhiti as Deputy PM and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Arben Taravari - Minister of Health, Fatmir Limani - Minister of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, Besar Durmishi - Minister of Economy, Arben Fetai - Deputy PM for good governance, and Orhan Murtezani - Minister of European Affairs.

ZNAM's ministers in the new government are Igor Filkov as Minister of Justice and Goran Minchev as Minister of Public Administration.

Mickoski and members of the government were sworn in using the country's constitutional name.

Prior to the vote, Mickoski said the Government will have to work hard in the first 100 days in office, focusing on tax cuts, increase of pensions, launch of a project worth over EUR 200 million for municipalities, EUR 1 billion for the Macedonian economy, new foreign investments for new jobs, free textbooks for all, front against corruption, bringing five-percent growth to the Macedonian economy and start of capital infrastructure projects.

"The attacks I have witnessed over the past couple of days are reduced to two aspects - the Prespa Agreement and the French proposal," said Mickoski in addressing SDSM MPs.

According to him, a Bulgarian dictate and constitutional changes would not pass under the current circumstances.

"Let me make it clear, this Bulgarian dictate and the constitutional revision under the current circumstances will not pass as long as I am PM. You made a mistake, a mistake that will cost citizens a lot, but will cost Macedonia most of all. Why? Because you should have extended a hand so that we sit down and talk before going into such adventures. People who know me are aware that I stand behind my words. I will utter the shameful adjective during the oath, reminding me of the humiliation you have brought to my homeland, my family and my unborn grandchildren and those who will follow. I will do everything during my term as politician and a person to undo this injustice. Unfortunately, I am powerless at this time, and I will have to capitulate before you and utter that shameful adjective since it is, regretfully, part of the Constitution and I must respect it as PM," said Mickoski.

You lost the elections, he added, because your coalition partners humiliated you as persons then humiliated Macedonia as a country.

"Citizens need solutions for their problems and challenges, a stable and professional health system that will benefit all, an education system based on knowledge, values and following contemporary global trends, higher standard of life, more money, functional institutions, dignified life for pensioners, a will to live and work in Macedonia. These things were ruined because of our irresponsibility," Mickoski told opposition lawmakers.

Mickoski is the 13th prime minister, heading the 20th government cabinet since the country's independence.

Photo: MIA