Levica: Government broke law on subsidised student meal for three years; students harmed by €6.5 million

Levica's Red Youth secretary general, Marija Vancheva, said at a press conference today that the VMRO-DPMNE-led authorities have failed for three years to adjust the subsidised student meal for inflation, leaving students short by roughly €6.5 million overall.

Vancheva pointed out that although three annual budgets were adopted in that period, the value of the subsidised meal has remained unchanged at 140 denars.

She accused the government of denying students money that the law entitles them to, saying: "Although three annual budgets passed, the miserly amount for the subsidised student meal remained the same, meaning the authorities for three years have withheld 650 denars per month from each student that legally belonged to them."

Levica frames the issue as political marginalisation

For Levica, the matter is not only about the size of a single allowance but a signal of which citizens the government prioritises. Vancheva said: "This is proof that a geritocracy rules in Macedonia. VMRO‑DPMNE's orientation toward its voter base keeps both pensioners and students held hostage in different ways."

Vancheva added that the approach is especially harmful as many young people leave the country and that the party will push an urgent amendment to the Law on Subsidised Student Meals to correct the three years of non-compliance. "In this way, Levica will insist that the state stop treating students as a politically insignificant category and finally begin to respect their legally guaranteed rights," she stated.

Separately, FOP commented on the final version of the Higher Education Act: "The consultations were a theatre in which students and professors were extras."

Photo: Sloboden pechat - Slobodan Gjurikj