Demir Kapija, 18 April 2024 (MIA) — SDSM and the coalition are the only option for the country's European future unlike VMRO-DPMNE's lack of plan, indecisiveness, unwillingness to do it, according to SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski at an election rally in Demir Kapija on Thursday.

"Our ideas are progressive and we have a clear vision for the country's European future, greatly supported by our EU friends.

"We guarantee an average salary of 1,100 euros and a minimum salary of 600 euros," Kovachevski said.

He recalled that the minimum wage was three times higher than the one in 2016, the average wage was double that of 2016, and now, he added, better times were ahead.

"Guaranteed salaries and grants for young people starting a new business – because we want young people to build their future at home," he said. 

"We guarantee better conditions and salaries for healthcare workers and completely free public healthcare. We promise a better and fairer system for everyone, through an uncompromising fight against crime and corruption and by implementing the vetting process for judges and public prosecutors. This is our vision and our platform," Kovachevski said.

He said the average pension would rise to Mden 30,000 and the minimum pension to Mden 20,000 denars. Pensions, Kovachevski said, compared to 2016, were now 55 percent higher and would continue increasing.

"I promise I will work night and day to meet the expectations of the majority of citizens to live in European Macedonia. We have not given up before, we will not give up now. We are not giving up on the future," Kovachevski said.

SDSM's Venko Filipche said while the Social Democrats' platform was clear and honest, VMRO-DPMNE's goals were destabilization and stagnation.

"We can say with our heads held high that SDSM carried out the right policies in the interest of all citizens in conditions of world destabilization," Filipche said, adding that VMRO-DPMNE was only blocking the state.

He added that voters would be choosing between two very different concepts at the upcoming parliamentary election: SDSM's offer of peace, stability, European integration, development and security; and VMRO-DPMNE's destabilization, stagnation, and blockades.

"Their offer is insincere, vague and dangerous for the country's future," Filipche said.

"They only know how to swim in politics talking about divisions, ethnic conflicts, fake patriotism," he added. mr/