North Macedonian Prime Minister and VMRO DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski stated today that there will not be a tax on unmarried individuals, backtracking on a suggestion he made on Friday that sparked sharp public reactions.
“Public Debate” vs. Policy Proposal
On Friday, Mickoski had announced that his government was beginning a “fight against demographic recession” and was “seriously considering additional taxes for the unmarried” because “our main imperative is for more young people to get married and have more children.” He made these remarks at a conference on “Demographic trends, challenges and possible solutions – Development of strategic documents for demographic resilience.”
However, on Sunday, following widespread criticism, Mickoski clarified that the purpose of his Friday statement was to “encourage public debate” and express “extreme concern” over the demographic recession in North Macedonia in recent years.
“Of course, there will be no such tax. I apologize to those who may have misinterpreted my initiative, but the fact is that I am extremely concerned about the demographic situation in Macedonia, and the fact is that as Prime Minister, it is my responsibility to be concerned about the demographic future of my homeland,” Mickoski stated.
Dire Demographic Trends
Mickoski added that his government is “extremely deeply involved in demography and democratic movements, not only in Macedonia, but also wider.”
“What I can conclude is that we are quietly disappearing and dying out, and it passes so unnoticed, as if it is a generally accepted fact and that we should reconcile with it,” Mickoski said at a party press conference where he announced VMRO DPMNE’s candidate for mayor of Skopje in the upcoming local elections.
He stressed that he cannot, and it would be irresponsible to, reconcile with the fact that in 2016, 23,000 babies were born in North Macedonia, while in 2024, only 16,000—a 30 percent decrease. Similarly, in 2021, there were just over 13,300 marriages, compared to only 11,100 in 2024, a 17 percent decline.
