Shtip, 9 September 2026 (MIA) -- All events organized to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the country's independence were paid for by socially responsible companies and required zero government funding, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Wednesday.

Asked about the amount the government spent on organizing this year's Sept. 8 celebrations, Mickoski said he had "bad news" for critics who "speculated, complained, slandered and spread misinformation." 

"The bad news is that all these events cost the budget zero denars," he said, stressing that the celebrations were organized at no cost to "either the citizens or the budget."

Mickoski said the details were accessible to everyone via the Open Finance platform. He said his was "a pro-Macedonian government that cares about the citizens" and "every denar of budget funds is spent in a transparent manner."

"Let me say it again," the prime minister said. "The bad news for them is that zero denars of budget funds were spent on the organization of all these events, and yet we had an unforgettable summer."

"It all began in Bitola, on Aug. 2," he said, mentioning international music acts who had performed across the country over the past month -- including Steve Aoki, Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, José Carreras and David Guetta -- as well as the Macedonian rock band Memorija. mr/ 

Фото: МИА