Levica: Student meal subsidy stuck at 140 denars for three years, ministry refuses to raise it
Levica says Minister Vesna Janevska has left the subsidised student meal at 140 denars since 2023 and refuses to raise it despite price increases and repeated public calls listing the same amount.
Levica accused the Ministry of Education today of keeping the subsidised student meal at 140 denars for three consecutive years and of acting “contrary to the law” by refusing to raise the amount despite rising food prices.
The party laid out a timeline to support its claim: the public call for the subsidised meal published on 14 August 2024 listed the amount as 140 denars; the same figure appeared in a call in April 2025; the offer for the 2025/2026 academic year again stated 140 denars; and the latest call still shows 140 denars. According to Levica, Minister Vesna Janevska has gone further and announced she does not plan to increase the subsidy because, she reportedly said, "students have not complained."
Levica's criticism and the ministry's record
Levica pointed out that food prices are not the same as when the 140-denar level was set, yet the student subsidy remains unchanged. The party criticised what it described as a disconnect between the government’s living standards and the financial reality facing students.
The party also urged the minister to check the ministry's own public call, saying it contains no entry for 147 denars or an additional 20 denars — figures Janevska has allegedly used to claim the meal was increased after the arrival of VMRO-DPMNE. Levica accused the minister of continuing to misrepresent the situation.
In its statement Levica added: "That is the entirety of VMRO-DPMNE's youth policy." The party called on the authorities to treat the student meal as a legally guaranteed right rather than a matter of political goodwill.
Photo: press material from the event
