For the citizens of North Macedonia, the decline in living standards and rising prices remain concerning, while the main focus of high-ranking state officials in recent months remains the modalities for amending the Constitution, specifically the inclusion of Bulgarians in the preamble. This is a condition for North Macedonia to open the path to the start of negotiations for European Union membership.
A recent survey conducted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) highlights that 56 percent of citizens in North Macedonia believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction, compared to 11.1 percent who believe it is heading in the right direction.
Based on the survey, the citizens of North Macedonia have identified corruption and organized crime as the main reasons why the country is heading in the wrong direction, accounting for 18 percent, followed by high prices and inflation at 15.3 percent, weak policies and government performance at 14.2 percent, and poverty and low living standards at 7.8 percent.
Only three percent of respondents mentioned the negotiations with the European Union and the issues with Bulgaria as reasons why North Macedonia is heading in the wrong direction.
The Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to reduce expenses and focus resources towards business.
Trade unions have expressed anger regarding the salary increases for officials and other government expenses.
They emphasize that the cost of living has become unaffordable, despite the average wage in the country increasing to 550 euros, as the consumer basket exceeds 800 euros.
