In its initial reaction following the announced Government reshuffle, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party said that it falls far short of the announced purge and will serve merely to buy time for Zoran Zaev until the coming electoral defeat. The party notes that, with Zaev assuming the office of his own Finance Minister, Macedonia now has a person pardoned for financial crimes and corruption in charge of its finances.

The reshuffle turned into a cosmetic change, which won’t affect the work of the incompetent Zaev led Government. The public has reason for concern, though, because a person pardoned for financial crimes is now one step closer to the public finances, and the Zaev clan has direct access to the budget funds. At least there will be no excuse for Zaev any more and he won’t be able to avoid responsibility for the economic disaster by shifting it to Finance Minister Tevdovski, said spokesman Naum Stoilkovski.

In 2008, when Zaev was the Mayor of Strumica, he was pardoned for a corruption scandal by then President Crvenkovski. Another, similar scandal uncovered in 2015, was swept under the rug as he took control of the judiciary.

Stoilkovski noted that a number of incompetent ministers, such as those in charge of healthcare, education, economy and transportation, have kept their positions.

The new Government is the same as the old Government, with added corrupt and criminal capacities, whose main goal will be to continue its own personal enrichment, crime and corruption, and will not work to meet the needs of the citizens, Stoilkovski said, warning that Zaev’s brother Vice, from the famous 2015 corruption scandal, now has access to the entire state budget.