Guerrilla action in Skopje compares 140‑denar student meal with parliamentary menu
Two satirical tables in front of Bunjakovec showed what students can buy with 140 denars versus options in the parliamentary buffet.
A guerrilla display on the square in front of the Bunjakovec shopping centre in Skopje placed two dining tables side by side to contrast what a student can buy with the 140-denar subsidised meal and what is available in the parliamentary buffet.
On one table the arrangers placed a simple student portion: a dry slice of bread, a tin of tuna, an onion, a pepper and a half‑litre bottle of juice. A printed menu beside it listed what fits under the 140‑denar cap: a burek with cheese and yogurt (120 denars); sour cream and half a loaf (90 denars); chia pudding (140 denars); and bean stew without meat (140 denars).
Two menus, same price cap
The second table showed an example of the parliamentary offer: a decorated plate with a piece of steak and an empty wine glass. The buffet menu items displayed included an omelet with bacon (85 denars), a toast with pork neck and kashkaval (120 denars), roasted chicken (115 denars) and a pljeskavica with kashkaval (210 denars). Both printed lists were labelled as satirical menus.
The action was signed on Instagram by the collective calling themselves “Societal contrasts.” The images were shared on social media by the Forum for Educational Reforms, whose representative Blendi Hodai reposted the photos and asked: “How long will some have luxury at the state's expense while others fight to survive?”
Before the demonstration the Forum for Educational Reforms said it had filed a complaint against the Ministry of Education and Science at the Administrative Court. The organisation claims the ministry has not implemented the legal requirement to align the amount of the subsidy with the annual inflation rate for the past three years, as prescribed by Article 2.1 of the Law on subsidised student meals.
When submitting the complaint, Hodai also urged that the Government and Parliament open their doors so students could eat steak for 160 denars, the price paid by some ministers and deputies. The episode was followed by a statement from Hristijan Mickoski announcing new benefits for students.
Photo: press material from the event
