Skopje, 25 December 2025 (MIA) – Today, when we have a clear downward trend in inflation, being one of the lowest in Europe below 4 percent, with a tendency to stabilize between 2 and 3 percent next year, the opposition lacking creative ideas and real policies is focusing on defamatory attacks against the government, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Thursday.

Speaking at a Q&A session in Parliament, Mickoski said SDSM had the chance to do something the improve the standards for living. Instead, he added, they allowed record high rates of inflation at 17, 18, 19 percent annually to be recorded striking a huge blow against the country especially between 2020 and 2023. 

The prime minister insisted that public trust in the current government is on the rise. 

“The standards for living are a continuing battle of every government. To improve the living standards, we need to fight and work continuously. You cannot lose, if you lose the battle, you lose public trust. It’s evident that public trust is rising. Regarding attacks from the opposition, when they were in power that their policies aimed at improving the living standards. But what had they done? There was a record high inflation at 17, 18 and 19 percent at annual level. The standard of the citizens suffered a heavy blow from 2020 to 2023 due to poor policies. Fortunately, it is in the past now. Our task is hard, but we accepted it to right the wrong done in 2020-2023,” said PM Mickoski answering a question by VMRO-DPMNE MP Emilija Angelova.

He also referred to the latest Eurostat report.

“I want to point out few facts. Eurostat said that the consumer basket in Macedonia, compared to an average defined as 100 percent, is the cheapest in Europe, 72 - 73 percent. Everyone in the region, literally, has a more expensive consumer basket than ours. Citizens have two options, either to trust Eurostat or the basket created by Branimir Jovanovikj, Dragan Tevdovski and Nikola Poposki. Citizens are the ones who should decide. Prices are high - yes, that is true,” said Mickoski pledging his government will continue to fight for better standards. 

Photo: screenshot