Skopje, 21 April 2024 (MIA) — The SDSM government raised the living standard, lowered unemployment, and created stability, security and certainty; EU membership will help further develop our country's potential, SDSM president  Dimitar Kovachevski said at an election campaign rally on Sunday.

Presenting the party's election platform, Kovachevski said they would guarantee an average salary of EUR 1,100 and a minimum salary of EUR 600 euros as well as a minimum pension of Mden 20,000 and an average pension of Mden 30,000.

Young employees would be provided EUR 200 per month per employee aged up to 26 years. Students would be provided free meals, free transportation and free field trips.

"We are not giving up on the future. Macedonia is a European country. Macedonia will be a member of the EU. Our Macedonia deserves to be part of the European family. We say this clearly and loudly: Not giving up on a better life, not giving up on prosperity and progress, not giving up on European standards and European values," Kovachevski said.

He added that they increased the minimum wage by 120 percent, the average wage by 80 percent, and pensions by 55 percent. Domestic companies were given support of EUR 100 million and EUR 2.6 billion were allocated to anti-crisis measures for the citizens and the economy.

"We accepted the crisis as a chance to change the country, and to change it for the better," he said, adding that the international community saw the country was stable, progressive and attractive to investors.

Kovachevski also said yearly foreign direct investments were two and a half times up from beforeand the country's energy transformation had begun.

"I know we have made mistakes. First of all, in cooperating with some coalition partners. I know that some of them crossed the red line and built businesses on ethnic issues. Yes, some Albanian parties as well as Macedonian ones, have turned ethnic issues into professions, businesses and personal careers. This is not good and it has to change immediately after May 8," he said. 

Party of European Socialists president Stefan Löfven said protecting democracy was a fundamental value for social democrats.

"The social dimension that we stand for strengthens democracy, because it establishes trust between citizens and elected representatives, between citizens and public institutions, between citizens and the European Union," Löfven said.

"We strengthen democracy by empowering workers through better quality jobs and living wages, by empowering women through addressing the gender pay gap, by empowering young people through bringing in opportunities that address job uncertainty and ensure their representation," he added.

Löfven said the PES believes Europe will be stronger only when North Macedonia is part of it. "We strongly support the accession of North Macedonia to the European Union," the PES president said.

President Stevo Pendarovski running for a second term also spoke at the rally as did the party's MP candidates. mr/