SDSM: The government’s linear pension increases harmed pensioners; harmonization should have continued

SDSM accused the government led by Hristijan Mickoski of harming pensioners by opting for linear pension increases instead of the harmonization methodology adopted by the previous government.

According to the opposition, the 1,000-denar increases planned for September 2025 and March 2026 have given pensioners less income than they would have received if SDSM’s methodology had been implemented.

The opposition party calculates that the September 2025 harmonization would have provided pensioners receiving the lowest pensions with an increase of 1,280 denars. For pensions in the higher categories, the increase would have ranged from 1,550 to 3,100 denars, while the average would have been around 2,000 denars.

SDSM also says that in March 2026, pensioners would have received between 1,500 and 1,800 denars instead of the same linear amount of 1,000 denars if its harmonization model had continued.

“The government’s linear model harmed all pensioners,” SDSM said, claiming that as a result of this policy, all 347,296 pensioners lost part of the funds they would have been entitled to under the previous methodology.

The opposition also criticized the government’s announcement that it would return to the methodology for harmonizing pensions. According to SDSM, with this move Mickoski also deceived pensioners.