Skopje, 19 March 2026 (MIA) - SDSM leader Venko Filipche told a press conference on Thursday that the party will table draft legislation to slash fuel tax, VAT on basic food products, and roll back tolls by half.

He called on the government to approve the bills in order to meet the needs of citizens and reduce fuel and food prices.

According to him, urgent government sessions should be convened to adopt measures that would help citizens overcome the crisis.

"It's not just fuel prices, but the prices for all food products are also soaring by the hour here, and the price of electricity and everything else will go up as well. Everything is going up except for paychecks," said Filipche.

He accused the government of not working on reforms and constitutional amendments, but of creating deliberate conflicts and spreading lies about some Bulgarian conspiracy.

"That is a classic tactic for holding onto power, while sacrificing the future of the state and the citizens. He talks about implemented reforms, but what reforms when not a single law in the area of justice was passed last year from the reform agenda. There was only one in which changes were made that contradict the recommendations of the peer review mission. Will he talk about that law, passed contrary to the recommendations of the European Union. Let me translate, in case anyone did not understand, the Prime Minister is working to isolate the country," Filipche pointed out. 

He called on Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski to say who would bear responsibility if the country remained outside the European Union, noting that the government, rather than implementing the reform agenda and fulfilling its commitment to progress towards the Union, was consciously creating divisions and tensions in order to maintain its political rating.

Photo: SDSM