North Macedonia's parliament
convened today for the session dedicated to approving the new
government led by conservative Hristijan Mickoski, leader of the
nationalist Vmro-Dpmne party, wide winner of last month's
legislative and presidential elections. According to
parliamentary rules, the session for launching the new
government lasts a maximum of two days, so that the vote of
confidence, at the end of the debate in the chamber, must take
place by midnight tomorrow at the latest. Presenting his
government program, the prime minister in charge announced a
radical economic recovery, massive investment particularly in
health, education and culture, increases in wages and pensions,
a tough fight against corruption and crime, and reforms to bring
the country closer to European standards and raise the living
standards of the people. "The time has come when the country
must do more for its citizens. You have done a lot for the
country, now it is time to do it for you," said Mickoski, who
announced allocations of 400 million euros for various reform
projects as early as next Tuesday. Mickoski's proposed new
government-which will consist of 23 ministers in addition to the
premier-is a coalition between Vmro-Dpmne, the Albanian minority
formation Vredi and the Znam movement. The majority party, which
got 43.1 percent of the vote in the May 8 vote, will get 15
ministries, six to Vredi and two to Znam. There is anticipation
for the swearing-in formula, and to see if Mickoski will
pronounce the constitutional term 'North Macedonia,' the new
name established for the former Yugoslav country under the
agreement with Greece signed in Prespa in 2018. New President
Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, a candidate of the Vmro-Dpmne and
also elected on the ballot in the May 8 double vote, at the
swearing-in read the ritual formula referai to 'Macedonia'
without the addition of 'North,' provoking protests from Athens,
whose leadership, without Skopje's compliance with the
agreement, threatens to block its camino toward EU integration.
North Macedonia joined NATO in 2020, and in July 2022 began
negotiations for EU membership along with Albania.
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