Skopje, 30 July 2025 (MIA) – Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski addressing the session of the Economic and Social Council on Wednesday said that good solutions can be reached when the interests of the citizens are place above personal and political difference. According to him, the differences between the Government and some of the unions, as well as with other stakeholders within the Council, are an additional reason for a more sincere and open dialogue.

Mickoski said he expects the Economic and Social Council’s work program for the year to be adopted, emphasizing that this would confirm the Council is not a mere formality but a living mechanism for real social dialogue and for making decisions in the interest of the citizens.

According to Mickoski, the Government is showing that the country can be managed with stable finances, rising wages, support for the economy, and dialogue with all social stakeholders. If we truly want a better tomorrow, he pointed out, it starts with honest work today.

“This Government understands the real conditions in which citizens live. We are aware of the difficult lives people face that the challenges are real, and that living standards cannot improve overnight. We know that if everyone here truly believes that the citizens’ interest is more important than personal or political differences, then I am confident we can and will make good decisions. If the interest of the citizens is equally important to all of us here, then I know the solutions will be good. Where there is a will, there is a way, and today, that will exists both on our side and on the part of the social partners,” Mickoski said before the agenda was adopted at the session of the Economic and Social Council.

PM Mickoski said that in May, net and gross wages increased by 11 percent. Salaries are already higher in the sectors of education, healthcare, public administration and the police. GDP grew by 3.2 percent in real terms in the first quarter, marking the fourth-highest GDP growth rate. Industrial production rose by 9.4 percent in May compared to the same month last year. For the second quarter, we expect growth for the first time in many years.

He also said that €250 million have been allocated to support businesses this year, with an additional €250 million directed to municipalities for capital project implementation. He reported a 4.7 percentage point reduction in public debt relative to GDP and expressed expectations that the budget deficit will be around 4 percent, potentially even below that level by year’s end.

“The Eurobond in the amount of €1 billion has been entirely repaid, without issuing a new bond to cover the repayment. The adopted fiscal strategy focuses on enhancing macroeconomic stability and solidifying the basis for sustained growth over the next five years,” Mickoski noted.