Mickoski admits that citizens are living a difficult life, but says hope is returning.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, in an interview with Euronews, spoke about the economic challenges faced by the country’s citizens, as well as positive developments that, according to him, have begun to bring hope for the future, reports Flaka.
“Citizens are living difficult lives, just like in the entire region, but what makes the difference compared to a year ago is that hope is finally returning that we can succeed,” Mickoski emphasized.
He highlighted some economic data that, according to him, indicate an improvement in the country’s economic situation. Mickoski mentioned that in 2024, foreign direct investments amounting to 1.255 billion euros were registered, ranking North Macedonia as the country with the highest investments per capita in Europe.
According to him, inflation has dropped significantly: in March it was 2.7% year-on-year and 1.3% month-on-month, indicating signs of deflation. For April, a decrease of 2.6% year-on-year and 0.6% month-on-month was also reported.
The Prime Minister also stressed a wage increase of 9 to 10% year-on-year and an economic growth rate higher than initially forecasted. Although the World Bank had predicted a 1.8% growth for 2024, the country’s economy recorded 2.8%, thanks to strong performance in the third and fourth quarters.
“For the first quarter of 2025, I expect up to 4%, maybe even more than 4%. These are numbers, and I am a mathematician who likes to talk about numbers because numbers reflect reality,” Mickoski stated.
He concluded the interview by emphasizing that the positive trends should serve as encouragement for optimism but also as motivation to work harder to improve the living standards of citizens.
Flaka Media