Skopje, 1 July 2026 (MIA) - Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Wednesday he has received the nominees for ministers from coalition partners Vlen and ZNAM, saying they are perfectly fine, while voicing expectation that the new government composition would be more successful.

"Yes, I already have the names from Vlen and ZNAM but I will leave it up to them to unveil them. They are perfectly fine as far as I am concerned and I expect the Government composition to be even more successful," PM Mickoski told reporters.

Mickoski added that Vlen would get the justice, inter-community relations, and culture and tourism portfolios after the government reshuffle.

According to media reports, Vlen will nominate current Deputy Minister Sedat Sulejmani as the new Minister of Culture and Tourism, Agon Ferati as Minister for Inter-Community Relations, and SEE University's constitutional law professor Jeton Shasivari as Justice Minister, replacing ZNAM's Igor Filkov in the post.

ZNAM leader Maksim Dimitrievski said yesterday that Borche Serafimovski, party vice-president and current State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, will head the sector in the new government composition, with Goran Minchev remaining in the post of Minister of Public Administration.

PM Mickoski told reporters after yesterday's session of VMRO-DPMNE's Executive Committe that Sasho Klekovski, who currently heads the Health Insurance Fund, will be the new health minister, while Zlatko Perinski, who currently helms the Ministry of Local Self-Government, will take over Klekovski's post. Gjoko Velkovski will step up from deputy minister to the top post in the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth.

Ivan Stoiljkovikj will be the new Minister of Local Self-Government, and Erdzhan Demir will serve as Minister without Portfolio responsible for Roma Inclusion. Additionally, the position of Deputy PM for Good Governance is being scrapped, with the PM's own office taking over the portfolio's duties.

Several ministers are keeping their current positions. This includes Education and Science Minister Vesna Janevska, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski, Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski, Sports Minister Borko Ristovski, Deputy PM and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski, Deputy PM for Political System Ljupcho Dimovski, Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski, Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska Kochovska, Energy, Mining and Minerals Minister Sanja Bozhinovska and Digital Transformation Minister Stefan Andonovski.

The parliamentary majority will grow by one, as the Democratic Party of Turks in Macedonia has officially agreed to join the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition. In return, a member of their party will be appointed as minister without portfolio.

The motion for the new government composition is to be forwarded to the Parliament by Friday, with the election slated by mid-July at the latest.

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