Macedonian parliament OKs cabinet reshuffle

13/07/2009

Nikola Gruevski's government is revamped amid a slew of resignations and the dismissal of the finance minister.

By Zoran Nikolovski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 13/07/09

"It is not the ministers, but the Prime Minister Gruevski, who is the creator of the general course and the key policies of the government that we see as wrong and detrimental for the country," SDSM official Andrej Petrov told parliament. [Tomislav Georgiev/SETimes]

Parliament on Friday (July 10th) backed Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's government reshuffle, which included the sacking of Finance Minister Trajko Slaveski. Gruevski also accepted the resignations of Education Minister Pero Stojanovski and Minister of Agriculture Aleksandar Spasenovski.

The slew of resignations follow Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Ivica Bocevski's on June 30th. He said his contribution to the current government was fully exhausted.

Spasenovski explained his leaving by saying it was in compliance with an agreement between the prime minister and the leader of his Socialist Party of Macedonia.

Slaveski, however, refused to resign. "I would like to learn one day why Gruevski has dismissed me," Slavevski told parliament, after citing a number of positive reforms in the finance sector.

Stojanovski said he failed in his commitment to depoliticise educational institutions. "The reasons for the resignation are personal and at this time I will keep them to myself. I hope that when this tension is overcome, in a more relaxed atmosphere I can … explain the reasons." Gruevski immediately appointed new ministers. Bocevski is succeeded by Vasko Naumovski, an assistant professor of international law and policy at New York University Skopje. Nikola Todorov is the new education minister, and Deputy Transport Minister Ljupco Dimovski took the post of agriculture minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Stavrevski is retaining his office and assuming the finance ministery post.

Small Enterprise Assistance Fund Director Vladimir Pesevski will assume the deputy economy ministery post.

Gruevski said the reshuffle is designed to address the impact of the global financial crisis amid fears of a recession. The opposition, however, asked for the entire cabinet's resignation over its failure to fulfil its promises and bring Macedonia closer to the EU and NATO.

"It is not the ministers, but the Prime Minister Gruevski, who is the creator of the general course and the key policies of the government that we see as wrong and detrimental for the country. Everybody else is only the enforcers and executors of a concept conceived by Gruevski," said Andrej Petrov, secretary general of the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM).

Gruevski dismissed the criticisms and promised his government will continue to work towards Euro-Atlantic integration.