Speaking on behalf of the ZELS association of mayors, Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska said that the Government must provide extra funding so that the municipalities can weather the energy crisis. If it doesn’t, Arsovska said that the municipalities will radicalize their response.

Macedonia is facing a major energy crisis caused by the Government’s corruption and mismanagement in the energy sector that left the country with a huge drop in affordable domestic electricity production. Towns, cities and rural municipalities that have to cover the cost of the schools and other big spenders can’t afford to keep paying the new, greatly inflated electricity bills, especially as the SDSM party led Government is cutting transfers to the municipalities after SDSM candidates were soundly defeated in the October local elections.

Our position is that we ask for a meeting with the Government to present our arguments. If they are not accepted, or if we are not heard, we determined that the entire process will radicalize. We believe that we need to help te citizens, Mayor Arsovska said.