The “Both Health and Work” local initiative believes that Macedonia is facing an important choice – whether to continue to stand still while neighboring countries are rapidly investing in economic development, or to finally start using its own potential to create new jobs and a better standard of living for its citizens.
At a time when Greece and Bulgaria are opening new mines, investing in critical minerals and attracting hundreds of millions of euros of capital, Macedonia still does not have a clear development direction for one of its largest industrial potentials – the Ilovica-Shtuka copper mine project.
Instead of a serious debate on economic development, the public has been witnessing political squabbles, populism and blockades for years that deter investments and increase uncertainty.
At the same time, the demographic picture of the country is becoming increasingly concerning.
The situation in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country is particularly worrying. Many settlements are facing an aging population, a youth exodus, and a lack of new investments. Villages and smaller towns are slowly losing their working population, and local businesses are facing a shortage of staff and limited opportunities for development.
