VMRO-DPMNE denounced the proposal from SDSM party leader Zoran Zaev to dramatically cut public employee salaries for the coming two months. VMRO has been proposing alternative measures such as postponing bank loan payments for weeks, before Zaev surprised the public with his announcement that he will place the entire public administration on the minimum wage (230 EUR) for two months, excepting the doctors and other essential services.

Cutting salaries of workers and public sector employees will mean that a four member family that was struggling to make ends meet as it was now won’t be able to feed itself. Zaev mustn’t reach for the most painful solution, which is to lash out against the poor, VMRO-DPMNE said in a press release.

Under Zaev’s proposal, the savings will be used to pay a minimum wage to employees of private companies that are hit hard by the epidemic, provided that the companies don’t fire anybody and don’t pay out dividends for the year.