Filipche: IMF projections place North Macedonia near bottom of Europe

Venko Filipche, leader of SDSM, said that new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expose the gap between political rhetoric and economic reality in North Macedonia, placing the country near the bottom of European economies by projected GDP per capita.

Filipche cited IMF figures that rank North Macedonia 41st out of 48 European economies by projected GDP per capita and gave the specific estimate for the country’s output per person.

Filipche highlights figures and accuses opposition

“IMF projections show GDP per capita in North Macedonia will amount to $11,762. In the region, we trail behind Serbia, Montenegro, Albania. The gap with the richest European economies remains huge. This is everything SDSM has been saying for the past year. Now confirmed by the IMF,” Filipche said.

Filipche also pointed to everyday pressures that he said citizens feel: rising prices, stagnant wages and the cost of living measured by trade union baskets. He warned that several months’ salaries are insufficient to cover household costs.

“The reality is that we have four billion euros of new debt over two years. The reality is that people are living worse. The reality is the expected increase in electricity and heating prices. The reality is that there has been no increase in the minimum wage. Instead, we hear only fairy tales from Hristijan Mickoski, who fights solely for his criminal tenders and for his own profit, as the head of an organized criminal group that over the past two years has completely impoverished the country. There will be accountability for all of this. The gang will answer,” the SDSM leader said.

Photo: SDSM