North Macedonia’s ruling VMRO-DPMNE party denied accusations by the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) of plans for mass partisan recruitment in the public sector, calling the claims “shameless lies” aimed at concealing the country’s deteriorating state.
The accusations followed remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Izet Mexhiti, who stated at a party rally that 3,000 party-affiliated individuals would be hired in public administration. SDSM spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzeska labeled Mexhiti’s comments as an “unprecedented scandal,” alleging a clear deal with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski ahead of local elections scheduled for autumn. Kuzeska questioned whether recruitment lists were already on the prime minister’s desk.
“If anyone turned the state administration into a party headquarters, it was SDSM,” VMRO-DPMNE said in a statement. “Any future hiring will be conducted in line with census data and institutional needs, not party lists, as SDSM did.”
The ruling party also mocked SDSM for holding press conferences instead of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), suggesting SDSM remains dependent on its former coalition partner. “They are so reliant on DUI that it is only a matter of time before they merge into a single party,” the statement added. “This government prioritizes quality, not party loyalty. The panic in SDSM ranks is obvious—they know there are no more schemes, tenders, or lucrative contracts for their loyalists.”
Deputy Prime Minister Mexhiti also responded to criticism from Public Administration Minister Goran Minchev of the ZNAM party, a government coalition member. Minchev described Mexhiti’s employment promises as “pre-election populism,” stressing that all public sector recruitment must follow legal and institutional procedures.
“I would urge Mr. Mexhiti not to behave like Alice in Wonderland, making promises that are unrealistic and unlawful without breaching proper procedures,” Minchev said on Facebook.
In response, Mexhiti insisted that adequate representation of ethnic Albanians in state institutions is a constitutional obligation. “The Government of the Republic of North Macedonia will convert temporary contracts into permanent employment for around 1,500 healthcare workers, 750 of whom are Albanian. We are proud of this,” Mexhiti wrote on Facebook.
The employment debate comes amid lingering tensions following a 2024 Constitutional Court decision to repeal the ethnic balancing mechanism in public institutions. The VLEN coalition has pledged to propose a legal solution, although no concrete proposal has yet been presented.
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