Of course, the public anger and venting was quite large, with fair and excessive reactions, with sarcasm and cynicism, but the main source comes from the general economic situation of the absolute majority of citizens. Up to this point, the citizens have full rights, however, for me, the problem was not and is not the salaries. The problem is corruption and the misuse of public resources, from which they may not even need a salary at all, and which most of them probably do not even touch on their bank accounts. The problem is the inability of these officials to provide quality and efficient services through the public system, which forces citizens to pay two or three times for something they should have secured through taxes and duties paid, which directly affects the quality of life.
Author: Sefer Selimi Jr.
At the beginning of 2020, our planet, after 100 years, was faced with a global pandemic caused by Covid-19, which gripped family economies but also numerous businesses, almost completely disrupted supply chains and caused shock in the everyday life of citizens. This put almost all state economies on the brink of recession and had significant financial effects that we all felt, and here more than anything a void that will never be filled is the near and dear ones we lost to the disease.
Still before the pandemic has completely ended and the economies have not recovered from its consequences, another crisis swept the globe, this time on February 24, 2022, the dictator Putin launched the Russian aggression against Ukraine, a bloody war that once again turned the world into corners of general global uncertainty and risk. Given that both countries are among the largest producers and suppliers of wheat, but also of important metals for the global market, especially Russia, which has served as a warehouse for cheap gas and oil for Europe – the pacified markets were shaken again. . This was followed by double digit inflation which hit the middle class and the poor directly, making normal life difficult and in many cases impoverishing them to the extremes.
North Macedonia, a fragile democracy and economy, of course cannot be immune to these global developments. Our state was hit hard by the increase in prices taking the first place in the region and this as a result of more indirect and direct factors – however what stood out and left a bitter taste are traders led by greed and gluttony that in artificially inflated prices to maximize profits. Hit hard by inflation and the increase in insecurity in general, the citizens of the country seem to have sunk into a deep depression and that “everything seems black”.
In the wake of this collective dissatisfaction, less than a month ago, the Constitutional Court abolished an article which allows the salary increase of up to 78%, of elected and appointed officials, making it in some cases up to 2,500 Euros. Of course, the public anger and venting was quite large, with fair and excessive reactions, with sarcasm and cynicism, but the main source comes from the general economic situation of the absolute majority of citizens. Up to this point, the citizens have full rights, however, for me, the problem was not and is not the salaries. The problem is corruption and the misuse of public resources, from which they may not even need a salary at all, and which most of them probably do not even touch on their bank accounts. The problem is the inability of these officials to provide quality and efficient services through the public system, which forces citizens to pay two or three times for something they should have secured through taxes and duties paid, which directly affects the quality of life. The problem is the capture of the state by the parties, which, through the usurpation of the system, kill every hope and perspective for the young people who empty the country, who hold democracy hostage and have produced a justice system that only justice does not serve.
If the citizens’ reactions were more frequent, more vocal and more direct about these problems, I believe that we would all have a much better job – including these officials for whom the salary level would not be a problem at all , as if it were double the amount they will receive now.