Robert Mileski: "A brother or a sister is not a luxury, they are the future" — response to Vesna Janevska

“A brother or a sister is not a luxury, they are the future!” wrote Robert Mileski on social media, responding emotionally to the public debate that followed Education Minister Vesna Janevska’s remark to first-graders on the first day of school.

While parts of the public and opposition reacted with cynical comments that highlighted economic hardship and corruption, Mileski argued that campaigning for better living conditions must not lead to abandoning family and the country’s demographic future. He framed his response with a historical comparison:

"A hundred years ago our ancestors did not live in abundance. They did not have high salaries, secure jobs, or the standard of living that we take for granted today. They worked from dawn to dusk and had ten children. Not because life was easy, but because life, despite everything, was more important than comfort," Mileski wrote.

Arguments and appeal

Mileski went on to point out that modern society enjoys advantages such as higher education, better medicine, technology and material security, yet birth rates are falling. He urged a clear distinction between demanding a better state and the personal decision to form a family:

"We should demand better conditions from the state — absolutely. But to give up on the idea of family because conditions are not perfect — never! If we want North Macedonia to have a future, we must talk about the economy and corruption, but we must also talk about children," he wrote.

He added a rhetorical warning: "Because if we build the most beautiful roads and the most modern schools, and there is no one to go along them, for whom did we build the country?"

Mileski, a computer engineer with an international career, graduated from the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany. His resume includes work with Universal Music and projects with companies associated with Elon Musk — Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink. Locally, he ran as an independent candidate for mayor of Struga on a platform of digitalization, economic development and retaining young people.

In his post Mileski urged society not to lose faith in the future: progress requires both better institutions and families willing to raise children, he said, warning that nations are not saved by social-media posts alone but by children, families and courage.

Photo: Илустрација (АИ)