Struga Mayor Ramiz Merko announced that he will demolish six beach platforms and other structures that were built without permission. Merko largely resisted removing unregulated beach development, especially with the summer season beginning, but the Government is under growing pressure from the EU and UNESCO to protect the lake Ohrid region. First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi and Public Administration Minister Jeton Shaqiri met with Merko today to discuss the problem.

We agreed that we don’t remain as the black sheep, to show solidarity with Ohrid and to help Macedonia not lose the UNESCO natural heritage status, Merko said.

He added that he will work to prepare a plan regarding the large areas of lake shore that are covered in reeds. Developers have established a practice under Merko to burn down the reeds and then quickly put up beach structures in its place, while the city hall ignores this practice.

The DUI party is rebranding itself into a green party – after decades of total disregard for the environment in municipalities ran by the party. Struga is just the most blatant example of this neglect.