Skopje, 27 October 2025 (MIA) - Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Monday he believes that Skopje's waste problem will have its resolution, which, he added, "will be very interesting". Mickoski said this in response to a reporter's question on whether he has received concrete proposals from institutions regarding the situation with the waste in the capital or whether he is still waiting on the Prosecutor's Office, which last week opened a procedure taking action to collect evidence on possible criminal case over the uncollected waste in Skopje. 

"I think there will be a resolution there, which will be very interesting to follow," Mickoski said speaking to reporters after Monday's visit to the 8 September City General Hospital. 

He thanked the mayors of Veles, Shtip, Kavadarci and Kumanovo for the support they have provided over the recent days in cleaning up the garbage in Skopje.

"In the coming days - Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, the cleanup will continue. Then I expect the whole waste situation to normalize after Orce Gjorgjievski wins, and the management of the City of Skopje is practically handed over. In fact, we have a pledge - full cleanup in the first 72 hours after he takes over as mayor of the City of Skopje, and that this will be an ongoing process, not something that makes the news, but be normal work of the City's institutions," the PM pointed out. 

The capital has been buried in trash over the recent period, with dumpsters and even walkways and streets in several Skopje neighbourhoods overflowing with waste. 

VMRO-DPMNE mayor candidate Orce Gjorgjievski, who won the most votes in the first round of the October 19 local elections, pledged full cleanup of Skopje in the first 72 hours in office as mayor of the capital. Gjorgjievski, who is the incumbent Mayor of Kisela Voda and the president of the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS), last week, at the initiative of the Mayor of Centar Municipality, Goran Gerasimovski, convened a meeting with all Skopje mayors in order to find solutions as to the dysfunction of the Communal Hygiene public enterprise.

The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office Skopje said last week it is taking action to collect evidence on a possible criminal offence related to the situation with uncollected waste in Skopje.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, a public prosecutor has issued orders to the Ministry of Interior and other competent authorities for urgent action and inspections regarding the operations of the Communal Hygiene public enterprise. Requests have been submitted to the communal inspection services to carry out an extraordinary inspection and assess the situation.

Previously, the Government said it has tasked the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the State Communal Inspectorate, the State Environmental Inspectorate, the State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate, and the Public Health Institute, to carry out an extraordinary inspection in the City of Skopje and the Communal Hygiene public enterprise in order to assess the situation with uncollected waste in the capital and take the appropriate measures.

Photo: MIA archive