Skopje, 15 December 2023 (MIA) – The greatest threat to the national security and future of North Macedonia are the negative demographics. The population is rapidly aging, the country is rapidly emptying… Corruption is among the most prominent factors contributing to emigration, said President Stevo Pendarovski in his address at Friday’s presentation of the State Statistical Office’s population projections for the country by 2070.

According to the projections of the State Statistical Office, based on data from the 2021 Census, by 2070 the country’s population could decrease by as much as 35 percent, from 1.8 million inhabitants to barely 1.2 million.

“We gathered the political will to carry out a census in 2021, I said the results will force us to face our biggest fears. I wasn’t referring to the fear of others, those different from us, but from the fear of seeing how few we are,” said the President.

Pendarovski highlighted the high emigration rate, noting that the World Migration Report 2020 included North Macedonia among the twenty countries with the highest rate of emigration.

“According to many, one of the biggest drivers of emigration is corruption. The harmful effects of corruption are felt in all areas – increased poverty and social injustice; polluted air; the destruction of green spaces; subpar results in education; delayed justice; social division. All of this creates an environment of hopelessness for many of our compatriots. It is evident that people aren’t leaving so much because of their wages, but because of the low quality of life,” said Pendarovski.

The President stressed that the negative demographic future doesn’t have to be the country’s fate, and that decisions and long-term policies can be adopted on the basis of the projections that will prevent such a trend.

The only way to reduce emigration, increase return migrations, and encourage a higher birth rate, according to the President, is the construction of a “demographically resilient society” i.e., a society in which people would want to live and start families.

Pendarovski said the country should focus on the four development priorities included in the “MKD 2030” Strategic Development Framework – accelerated economic growth, greater environmental protection and energy policy reform, digitization, and – the most important one according to him – education, youth and inclusive growth.

“All of this will help us shape Macedonian education based on the real needs of the labor market, and the health and social policies based on the real needs of the population. Alongside the 2021-2041 National Development Strategy, these two documents should aid the efforts of decision makers to create an inclusive and just society in which knowledge, skills, professionalism and integrity will be crucial for the success of the individual, instead of their ethnicity or party affiliation,” said Pendarovski.

At the same time, according to Pendarovski, the country should be fighting corruption head on in order to ensure a functional, just state with the rule of law at its basis.

“This is important for the EU membership negotiations, but it is even more important for our citizens. If we don’t want the Macedonian citizens to move to the European Union, we need to implement the European values here, in our country. That’s the only way we can reduce emigration, encourage the birth rate and develop human capital in general,” said President Pendarovski in his address.

Photo: MIA