Skopje, 9 May 2024 (MIA) - VMRO-DPMNE's front against crime and corruption means the dissolution of the Judicial Council and the Council of Public Prosecutors, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski told Kanal 5 TV in an interview Thursday.

“During the campaign we said we are creating a front against crime and corruption, and that front means that we will dissolve the Judicial Council and the Council of Public Prosecutors. That’s our goal, but that doesn’t mean that then we will be the ones to propose [judges], that’s how the ruling parties interpreted it, ‘VMRO will remove them and install their own partisan judges’, no, we should let them elect each other at direct elections,” Mickoski said.

He presented the party’s plans for the living standard and the economy, announcing an investment package within the first 100 days of government.

“A serious foreign investment is already concluded in the field of energy, without special legislation, without a guaranteed purchase price, without privileges, which would be between EUR 400-500 million, and would produce roughly around 1 TWh of electricity annually. And this will be revealed in the first 100 days,” Mickoski said.

Mickoski said their government would also bring two additional foreign investments, as well as a financial package as part of a “government-to-government cooperation” with, he said, “exceptionally favorable conditions, a good grace period and an exceptionally attractive interest rate”.  

The VMRO-DPMNE leader said they are planning to rebalance the budget in the second half of July and to begin a project for the decentralization of finances and investments in the municipalities during the first half of September.

Asked about the requests for wage raises in the administration, Mickoski said the party made cautious promises in its election manifesto, which, he said, “is founded on investments and not public spending”.

“The productivity, investments, raised wages must go hand in hand. We saw where the current kind of economy led us,” Mickoski said.

Asked about the unions’ demand for a minimum wage of EUR 450, the VMRO-DPMNE leader said the issue should be discussed and analyzed, noting that anything within the scope of reality will be fulfilled.

Mickoski also pledged that the country will have an attractive tax policy.

“We will continue with the flat tax policy and the fight against the informal economy. If we have greater income, even the 10 percent flat tax can be reduced to 8 percent, which would make Macedonia the most attractive country in terms of its tax policy. We are planning the tax on the profits of multinational companies to be below 5 percent, which will once again make Macedonia one of the most attractive countries. As a result, we expect revenue in the budget, funds for capital investments, assistance for investments,” Mickoski said. 

Photo: VMRO-DPMNE