English
“If we do not turn toward family values and large families—and if we do not promote these values—the Macedonian economy will, unfortunately, be the first to take the hit,” Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated today. He was commenting on a remark by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, who noted that by 2030, the country will need 50,000 foreign workers annually just to maintain current GDP levels.
Responding to questions from journalists following the launch of a project to procure 100 new ambulances, the Prime Minister reiterated his stance on the importance of family values and large families, emphasizing that the situation requires in-depth analysis.
“When I spoke about family values and fertility rates a year and a half or two years ago, I was labeled backward and regressive; people claimed I didn’t know what I was talking about—I heard all sorts of things said about me. Yet, unfortunately, this challenge persists. In fact, the figure mentioned by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport might even be an underestimate; we may well need far more workers to sustain our economic activity,” Mickoski added. He pointed to developments in Western Europe, where—in order to maintain economic levels and achieve a modest increase in nominal Gross Domestic Product—it is necessary to issue hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions, of work permits to migrants every year.
“So, no matter how much they may wish to mock me, I will remain committed to family-oriented policies—supporting large families—and to policies that secure a future for Macedonia as a state, create new jobs for Macedonian workers, and foster a more competitive, growing Macedonian economy,” emphasized Prime Minister Mickoski.