Skopje, 24 August 2025 (MIA) – What the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition did in the past two days is, truly, a novelty on the political scene in Macedonia, said VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski referring to this weekend’s fair of mayors.

“It’s a good thing that every year we’re trying to innovate, it’s a good thing that the other opposition parties can learn something new that may prove beneficial when presenting ideas that we, the government, could perhaps use some day,” he said speaking at the closing panel “Local and Central Authorities Working for You.”

Mickoski said he is confident his party will win by a landslide in the October local elections.

Speaking at the event, Mickoski focused on what, in his opinion, should be done for the City of Skopje. According to him, three things are “desperately necessary”, most notably cleaning the city. “We should finally clean Skopje and throw out the trash,” Mickoski told Orce Gjorgjievski, VMRO-DPMNE’s candidate for Skopje mayor.

“In parallel, a process to make Skopje greener should be implemented. I believe the focus in the first year of the mandate should be on downtown Skopje, primarily City Park, and the city to finally get the amusement park that children deserve,” said Mickoski. 

Speaking about the Skopje Fortress, Mickoski said he expected that it will be finally reopened for tourists. “From there, I would go down to the Skopje Old Bazaar to help some of the craftsmen there. I would step down to the square in front of the Ministry of Transport, which needs new contents. A lot of greenery is needed alongside Stone Bridge and the main square.”

Macedonia street and the park dedicated to women are in a state they shouldn’t be in, he added. He said he hoped St. Konstantin and Elena church at the end of Macedonia street will be opened in late September. “Orce as future mayor should focus on this square and make it green also featuring urban equipment,” Mickoski told the mayoral candidate. 

The second pillar, he said, will involve finishing all the capital projects that have been started, including bridges and boulevards.

“We should speed thing up for the water treatment station in order to clean river Vardar. All capital projects that have been launched should be finally completed,” urged Mickoski. 

The third pillar will be the most challenging, according to him. It involves the public enterprise for parks and the public enterprise for communal hygiene. 

“We believe they are overcrowded with staff that is unproductive,” Mickoski said noting that members of the staff in these enterprises are associated with the coalition partners of the incumbent Skopje mayor, namely DUI and Levica, as well as the SDSM municipal councillors. 

These three priorities should be the focus of the future mayor of the City of Skopje, Orce Gjorgjievski, he urged.

“We, the central government, will continue to buy electrical buses through the Transport Ministry. Most of them will be procured for the public transportation in Skopje,” said the VMRO-DPMNE leader. 

This weekend, Skopje hosted a series of panel discussions at the fair of mayors “Four Years Working for You”, organized by VMRO-DPMNE. 

Photo: VMRO-DPMNE