Skopje, 30 October 2025 (MIA) - Over the past year and a half, the state has been consolidated following the collapse and devastation it faced when we took office. In recent months, the foundations have been laid, and the results phase is beginning, which will bring a better life to the citizens, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said Thursday evening at the final rally in Skopje ahead of the second round of local elections on Sunday.

He stated, “They left the country in collapse and sunk into poverty,” which is why “time, patience, and faith were needed to start moving things and to lift the country from the knees on which some had placed it.”

“They left institutions that didn’t function, an economy going down and literally disintegrating, increasing poverty, morale in deficit, not only financially but also in terms of identity, debts and agreements that all citizens are paying for. The previous government left the country devastated. They dismantled the system piece by piece as if it were their personal property, turned the public sector into a party branch, made institutions silent witnesses, and held the people hostage,” Mickoski said.

In the past days of the campaign, he met people “with hopes and doubts, trust and calls for accountability,” and he said their messages must be carefully understood and received with understanding and gratitude.

“I am fully aware that the obligation we bear and the responsibility we hold is immense. During our meetings with citizens and program presentations, every handshake is a commitment, a commitment to work seriously, with dedication and sincerity… The greatest burden one can carry is the trust of a nation. Every politician must realize that the people are observing. Our mission is not easy, not only because of the situation we inherited, but it is far bigger than that. Our goal is not just political triumph, but to rebuild faith that Macedonia can and must be better. Progress has been slower than we imagined, but the foundations have been laid. We couldn’t immediately produce results; first, we had to lay the groundwork. Some expected it to happen overnight. But foundations are built with sweat and countless hours of meetings, planning, analysis, travel, discussions, and decisions, not mere talk. That is why today I can say: the foundation is set. Now, after the elections, we enter the results phase,” VMRO-DPMNE leader said.

He said that more than 70 new projects will start in the coming period, covering infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, agriculture, culture, technology, justice, and other fields. This includes new schools, modern hospitals, clean air programs, digital administration, and investments aimed at ensuring decent salaries. He said that a “series of concrete measures will begin to enhance people’s lives, strengthen the economy, and bring improvements to every home.”

“Yes, life is expensive, every day is a struggle with bills, fuel, and rent. But we won’t wait for prices to fall on their own. We will create conditions for more money in people’s pockets, affordable living, and more opportunities. We will make the state an ally of the citizens, not a decayed system that drives them to emigrate. No young person will be left without a home. No mother will have to choose between career and family. No business will fail because the state hinders it. That is real change. This is not a fantasy — this is a plan. We will build a system that functions in the long term, regardless of who is in power, through deep reforms, because the state is not a private company, but a shared home,” Mickoski said at the rally in Skopje downtown.

Upon taking power, their first priority was to stabilize the state. Now, with the foundations in place, the results phase begins, and he stressed: “This phase cannot commence without a determined and just battle against corruption.”

“Let me be clear: the fight against corruption is not just a slogan. It is a test of our conscience and our legitimacy. There will be equality before the law and accountability for misuse, regardless of position, party, or endorsement. A state without trust is a house without a foundation. And trust cannot exist without justice. This is our commitment. Corruption is the most costly tax in this country. Removing it frees funds for kindergartens, classrooms, ambulances, labs, local roads, new hospitals, and services. That is why we will fight vigorously,” Mickoski stated.

On his opponent SDSM, he said it is a party that “lost 125,000 votes” because, he added, “when politics turns selfish, the people close the doors,” and “this is a lesson for all of us on what not to do.” 

Photo: MIA