- Title: North Macedonian parliament approves nationalist-dominated government
- Date: 24th June 2024
- Summary: SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA (JUNE 23, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS VOTING FOR NEW GOVERNMENT NEW MINISTERS VOTING BY HOLDING A GREEN CARD TELEVISION SCREEN SHOWING HOW LAWMAKERS VOTED VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS APPLAUDING LAWMAKERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) PRIME MINISTER OF NORTH MACEDONIA, HRISTIJAN MICKOSKI, SAYING: "That thesis of yours about the Prespa Agreemen
- Embargoed: 8th July 2024 08:46
- Keywords: Hristijan Mickoski North Macedonia North Macedonian government new government
- Location: SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
- City: SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
- Country: Macedonia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001315724062024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: North Macedonia's lawmakers on Sunday (June 23) approved a new nationalist-dominated government led by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, whose party won general elections in May, banking on voters' anger at the slow pace of European Union integration.
A third vote due to technical issues made the final tally 77 for and 22 against in the 120-seat parliament, where the ruling coalition is composed of Mickoski's VMRO-DPMNE party, the Albanian alliance VLEN/VREDI, and ZNAM, an ethnic Macedonian splinter group from the Social Democrats (SDSM).
Declaring the session "historic," Mickoski, in his first term as premier, said that his 20-ministry government will not need 100 days to show results in reforms but will start immediately to work to attract new investment, cut taxes, and increase pensions and wages.
Opposition MPs voiced doubts about the ability of the new government to fulfill promises from its program, accusing Mickoski of being manipulative and secretive about proposed reforms.
Mickoski said the government would remain committed to European integration, adding that his country will continue to support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion.
However, Mickoski also said a deal agreed earlier to settle a dispute with Bulgaria by amending the constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority will not pass.
Mickoski several times referred to the Balkan country of 2 million as just Macedonia, not using its full name, North Macedonia, which the previous government changed under pressure from Greece, which claimed that the name implies territorial claims on a Greek province of the same name.
(Production: Fatos Bytyci, Ognen Teofilovski, Milan Pavicic) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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