Skopje, 2 December 2025 (MIA) - Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Tuesday that SDSM stooges in the judiciary have been consistently trying to undermine the Government and expects them to continue to do that, the latest blow involving pensioners and the linear increase of pensions.

"This time they dealt a blow to the pensioners. Now they are saying pensioners will not have to return the money they received in the previous three occasions of linear increase. Therefore, how will the linear increase coming next March be unconstitutional, whereas the previous three are within the constitutional framework?," PM Mickoski told reporters.

According to him, the constitutional judges have three options - to declare the first three linear increase as unconstitutional, meaning that 75 percent of pensioners will see their pensioners decrease by Mden 3,000-4,000 (EUR 50-65) as of January 1.

"The second option is finding a somewhat pale, unjust logic, by declaring the coming increase as unconstitutional, thus making the previous three constitutional, which seems ridiculous. And the third option, to declare all linear increases as constitutional," said Mickoski.

Last month, the Constitutional Court decided to initiate a procedure over the amendments to the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance, according to which, pensions are increased on linear basis, regardless of the pension amount, years of experience or size of contributions. According to the amendments, the systemic provision for regular monthly alignment of pensions based on calculations of wage growth and cost of living was temporarily abrogated.

Photo: MIA