The VLEN coalition has announced that Jakup Huseini will be its candidate for mayor of the Municipality of Brvenica.

Huseini holds a master’s degree in legal sciences and currently works as a civil servant in the Municipality of Brvenica. According to the coalition, his professional work and regular contact with citizens have helped him directly understand the needs, difficulties and challenges facing the municipality.

VLEN emphasizes that throughout his career, Jakup Huseini has served the residents and demonstrated commitment to fulfilling his institutional duties.

VLEN considers knowledge of the municipal administration, institutional procedures and citizens’ demands to be one of its candidate’s main advantages. The coalition believes this experience will enable Huseini to begin work immediately, without needing additional time to familiarize himself with how the municipality operates.

Through this candidacy, VLEN says it is offering the residents of Brvenica a representative with a legal background, work experience and direct knowledge of local issues.

“From the first day, at the service of the residents of Brvenica,” the VLEN announcement concludes.

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The ruling party VLEN has commented on the latest economic data, according to which economic growth in the second quarter reached 4.3 percent.

According to this party, the economic expansion has been supported by increased investments, export growth, and the performance of the processing industry.

The data presented in VLEN’s press release show that investments increased by 16.5 percent, exports by 10.4 percent, while the processing industry recorded a growth of 4.1 percent.

“The 4.3 percent economic growth in the second quarter is good news for the country. Even more important is that investments, exports, and the processing industry are behind this growth,” the VLEN statement says.

VLEN also announced that, through the Ministry of Economy and Labor, this year 1.23 billion denars, which is approximately 20 million euros, have been allocated for local companies.

The funds, according to the statement, will serve companies that plan to expand production, purchase equipment, and create new jobs.

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North Macedonia has officially joined the Vertical Gas Corridor, the VLEN party announced today. The memorandum formalizing the membership was signed in Thessaloniki by NOMAGAS Director Nedim Rama.

According to VLEN, participation in this corridor gives the country the opportunity to expand its sources of gas supply and avoid dependence on a single source or route. The party says the agreement also increases North Macedonia’s role in the region’s energy system.

VLEN emphasizes that the energy crisis of recent years has highlighted the need for diverse sources and supply corridors. In this context, opening up new channels is considered important not only for economic development but also for the country’s energy security.

The party praised the work of NOMAGAS Director Nedim Rama, as well as the company’s entire team. According to the statement, the agreement was reached following several months of negotiations and coordination with regional partners.

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The Alliance for Albanians has raised serious concerns about recruitment and promotion processes in the public sector, stressing that for months it has been collecting information and complaints that call these practices into question.

ASH says that VLEN’s claims of more than 2,500 merit-based hires and promotions must be backed by concrete facts and the full publication of data for each institution, vacancy announcement and position.

According to the Alliance’s statement, the figures available so far paint an entirely different picture from the one being claimed. For example, in a group of 136 hires in the administration, only 5 were Albanians. Another analysis of 205 new positions or promotions showed that only 2 of them went to Albanians. At NOMAGAS, 19 of the 102 reported cases involved Albanians.

Another recent case sparking debate is that of Mevludin Amidi at the Post of Macedonia, who claims he has been overlooked in his career despite holding a university degree and having extensive experience, while colleagues with lower levels of education have been promoted. He has now filed an official complaint seeking clarification about the criteria used.

ASH also recently cited the results at the Secondary Police School, where only around 9 of the 310 accepted candidates were Albanians.

In response to VLEN’s claim of thousands of hires and promotions, the Alliance is calling for the immediate publication of the list, asking rhetorically: In which institutions did these appointments take place, how many were new jobs and how many were promotions, how many of those hired were Albanians, at what levels, and according to what criteria were these moves made?

In its response, ASH stressed that the public administration is not the property of any party, whether VLEN, VMRO-DPMNE or any other political force. Albanians, it said, are not seeking preferential treatment, but only equal opportunities, transparency and respect for merit. After two years in power, VLEN must be held accountable and publish the figures, thereby fulfilling its promises of change.

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The VLEN coalition has responded to statements by the Democratic Union for Integration regarding infrastructure projects, criticizing the party for producing more promises than concrete results during its two decades in power.

According to VLEN, DUI continues to talk about securing funds and preparing documentation, but citizens are once again being told the same story they have heard for 20 years.

“For two decades, DUI promised projects, announced motorways, designed roads and spoke of investments. But in the end, citizens were left with promises, while the party elite received privileges,” VLEN said.

The governing coalition says the difference between it and DUI is now clear. According to VLEN, projects that for years appeared on maps and were presented at press conferences are now turning into construction sites.

VLEN lists among these investments the motorway toward Gostivar, progress on the motorway connection toward Kičevo, the start of work on the road connection with Kosovo and the construction of Corridor 8. “While DUI poses for photographs, VLEN is working on the ground,” the coalition said.

The statement also raises the question of why these projects were not completed during the years when DUI was part of the government if, as the party claims, the funds and documentation had been secured.

“If everything had been secured, why were these projects not built over 20 years? Where was that money? Why did the western part of the country remain for two decades with narrow roads, dangerous points, unfinished routes and infrastructure that did not meet citizens’ needs?” VLEN asked.

The coalition claims that during the period when DUI participated in various governments, major infrastructure projects were often limited to presentations, announcements and promises of tenders. Meanwhile, the citizens of Tetovo, Gostivar, Kičevo, Struga and other municipalities continued waiting for the announced investments.

VLEN stresses that today, in addition to motorway-related projects, boulevards are being built in Tetovo, investment is being made in the new campus of Mother Teresa University in Skopje, and infrastructure projects are being implemented in Struga.

According to the coalition, roads, sewage systems and water-supply networks are also being built in municipalities where Albanians live. “The excavators are on the ground, while DUI is at press conferences. That is the difference,” the statement said.

VLEN accuses DUI of seeking to claim credit for projects currently being carried out. The coalition emphasizes that securing financial resources and preparing documentation have no value if they are not accompanied by the concrete implementation of the projects.

“Money on paper is not a motorway. A project in a drawer is not a boulevard. A promise at a press conference is not infrastructure. Citizens do not travel on party statements, but on roads that are built,” VLEN said.

The governing coalition says citizens now have the opportunity to compare the promises made over the years with the projects that, according to it, are taking shape today. “DUI left behind files and promises. VLEN is leaving behind roads, bridges and completed projects,” the statement concluded.

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The European Union has condemned the glorification of war criminal Ratko Mladić, while VLEN has not dared even to mention the name of Ivan Stoilković, who holds such views. In a statement, DUI described this silence as a serious issue for the public.

According to DUI, VLEN has not been content merely to remain silent about Stoilković’s statements and the appointment of members of his party to important state positions, but has also supported them through its votes in Parliament.

DUI recalls that, during this period, circumstances have emerged indicating the expansion of the influence of structures and interests linked to the so-called “Serbian world” project in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Ivan Stoilković has publicly referred to the Republic of Kosovo as “Kosovo and Metohija,” while, according to DUI, VLEN has not reacted in any way.

“The institutions of the European Union have also condemned the glorification of Ratko Mladić, underscoring that honoring individuals convicted of war crimes directly contradicts European values. Nevertheless, this does not appear to concern Ivan Stoilković, his party or the people belonging to this political structure, who continue to glorify and relativize the greatest criminals of the last century in Europe after the Second World War. Faced with this situation, VLEN does not dare even to mention the name of Ivan Stoilković. Their silence raises a serious question for the public, especially since Stoilković himself has stated that VLEN representatives should be careful because, according to him, he has ‘saved them from public disgrace’ two or three times. The question is unavoidable: what connects VLEN with Ivan Stoilković, and why do they not have the courage to condemn him?”

“Since the formation of this government, Stoilković and his political structures have been favored with important state positions. The post of deputy prime minister for implementing the Ohrid Framework Agreement, a document of vital importance for Albanians and other communities, was given to a political structure linked to this orientation. Meanwhile, Dalibor, an official close to Stoilković, was appointed director of the Agency for Community Rights. A series of developments and projects then began that raise major concerns about the penetration of the so-called ‘Serbian world’ project into the Republic of North Macedonia. VLEN, not just once but on several occasions, has not only remained silent but has also defended Stoilković: through its vote in Parliament, by blocking the adoption of initiatives seeking his accountability and dismissal; through its silence regarding the attacks, insults and offenses he directed at Albanian MPs; and through propaganda, by relativizing, disguising and justifying his decisions and actions, even fiercely attacking Albanians who oppose Stoilković.”

“During this time, other actions were also enabled that demonstrate the growing presence of structures and interests linked to the ‘Serbian world’ project in the country. Activities and marches by Serbian military structures were held, along with parades and visits by Serbian ministers to North Macedonia, accompanied by provocative statements that these lands are Serbia, while senior political figures, including Milorad Dodik, also visited the country. In the energy sector, the director of MEPSO, an official affiliated with VLEN, signed an agreement for the electricity transmission-line project with Albania with companies close to Milorad Dodik. This has raised concerns about the extension of this influence into a strategic sector such as energy. Alta Bank has entered the banking sector, MTL is seen as a foothold in telecommunications, while in the media sphere, a Serbian television station has been established in the Republic of North Macedonia.”

“Most recently, Nedim Rama, who is close to Izet Mexhiti and a senior official at NOMAGAS, signed an agreement with the Serbian side on the gasification project between North Macedonia and Serbia. It is no coincidence that, for two consecutive years, the European Parliament has expressed concern that figures within this government are promoting and helping expand the influence of the ‘Serbian world’ in the Republic of North Macedonia.”

“Ivan Stoilković has publicly referred to the Republic of Kosovo as ‘Kosovo and Metohija,’ while VLEN has not uttered a word. Therefore, the question for VLEN is direct: when will you demand the removal from the government of Ivan Stoilković and his officials, who glorify Ratko Mladić and other war criminals? If you possess even one element of Albanian national responsibility and commitment to European values, then in this government either those who glorify war criminals must leave, or you must leave. But you are showing no courage to do either. The longer you continue to remain silent, the clearer it becomes that your silence is not neutrality, but political protection and shared responsibility. Go home as soon as possible, because with this silence and political submission you have brought shame upon Albanian political representation.”

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The Alliance for Albanians said that while Mickoski claims that 17,000 new jobs were created over the past two years, VLEN presents the hiring and promotion of around 2,000 Albanians as a success.

According to ASh’s calculation, even if the figure published by VLEN is accepted as accurate, 2,000 out of 17,000 jobs account for only 11.8%.

The party stresses that the figure combines hiring and promotions in order to make the result appear higher.

“The fact is that Albanians account for less than 10%. This is degradation, belittlement, contempt, shame and political hypocrisy. Instead of demanding fair representation and equal opportunities, VLEN boasts about a figure that precisely demonstrates the little weight it carries within this government. What message is being sent to the thousands of young Albanians who graduate every year? To get educated, specialize and then face opportunities distributed far from any proportionality? This approach demotivates Albanian graduates, encourages young people to leave and further deepens inequality. 17,000 new jobs, while Albanians receive less than 10%. This is VLEN’s latest disgrace,” the Alliance for Albanians said in its response.

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The Democratic Union for Integration considers the composition of candidates admitted in the latest competition for the Secondary Police School alarming. According to the party, of the 310 candidates selected, only 11 belong to non-majority communities, including Albanians, Turks, Roma, Serbs and other communities, while Albanians account for less than 3 percent. DUI estimates that this composition does not fairly reflect the population structure of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The party stresses that the case should not be viewed as an isolated incident, but as evidence of a policy that is leaving Albanians out of state institutions, particularly those responsible for law and security.

DUI says that the symbolic representation of a sizeable community in the police cannot simply be explained as the failure of a single competition. In its view, this demonstrates a lack of will and mechanisms to ensure fair and adequate representation. The reaction states that the same situation is also affecting other non-majority communities, creating institutional supremacy and a monist approach in which one group acts as the owner of the state, while others are treated as second-class citizens and tenants in their own country.

“Such an approach is unacceptable in a multiethnic state and represents a rollback of achievements built over the years through the Ohrid Agreement and the reform of institutions,” DUI said.

DUI is calling for the immediate cancellation of the competition and the launch of a new process based on criteria that ensure genuine and adequate representation for all communities.

The party is also calling for immediate political accountability and the resignation of the deputy minister of the Interior. According to DUI, the formal presence of an official in this position cannot be used as a justification for excluding Albanians from institutions that should serve all citizens.

At the same time, DUI is calling for the establishment of clear, measurable and binding mechanisms for fair and adequate representation in the police, law enforcement and security structures, from recruitment through to leadership positions. It warns that the work built over the years must not be undone within two years, and that Albanians must not be reduced to institutional window dressing while decision-making and security structures become increasingly concentrated in one hand.

“This is not just about one competition or one individual. It concerns equality, the multiethnic character of the state and respect for the Ohrid Agreement. Albanians are not seeking privileges, but the representation they are entitled to, in accordance with the structure of the population. Any other alternative constitutes systematic exclusion and a dangerous rollback,” DUI said in its reaction.

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The Democratic Union for Integration has reacted to what it describes as the glorification of war criminals Ratko Mladić and Draža Mihailović by VLEN’s political partners in the Government. According to DUI, VLEN cannot avoid responsibility merely through public statements, as it is part of the governing authorities and co-governs with the entities it accuses.

“VLEN’s partners in the Government, whom VLEN has defended and legitimized in every respect, are today glorifying Ratko Mladić and Draža Mihailović,” DUI said in its response.

DUI specifically mentioned the Minister of Local Self-Government, Ivan Stoilković, who, according to the party, is part of the political partnership accepted and defended by VLEN in order to preserve their coalition government.

“Ratko Mladić is not a figure for debate or historical interpretation. He is a war criminal sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, responsible, among other things, for the genocide in Srebrenica, where more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed,” DUI said.

The Albanian opposition party said that Stoilković’s positions and those of the entity he represents do not constitute an isolated case, but have been repeated before.

In this context, DUI recalled previous statements about Srebrenica and said that “this is precisely the political profile and approach to one of the most horrific genocides in post-World War II Europe that VLEN has as a partner in the Government.”

DUI’s response also criticized VLEN’s conduct following these developments. “And what does VLEN do? It behaves as if it were a nongovernmental organization or an opposition party: it waits for the public, the people and other parties to react, and then issues some formal response to wash its hands,” the statement said.

According to DUI, VLEN, as part of the governing coalition, cannot remain in the role of an observer.

“VLEN is not a spectator. VLEN is in the Government and shares responsibility for the partners it keeps in power and for everything it tolerates for the sake of its seats,” DUI said.

DUI linked this situation to the current authorities’ relations with political figures and structures from Serbia and Republika Srpska, claiming that the tolerance of these positions is part of a broader policy.

“They tolerated the arrival of Milorad Dodik and his anti-Western and pro-Russian lectures; meanwhile, VLEN has built economic and energy relations and partnerships with structures from Serbia and Republika Srpska, from Alta Banka to agreements in the energy sector and gasification projects,” the response said.

According to DUI, the glorification of war criminals by VLEN’s partners should be viewed as the result of a political climate characterized by silence and tolerance toward entities that are part of the governing authorities.

“Therefore, the glorification of war criminals by VLEN’s partners is not an isolated incident. It is part of a policy of silence, tolerance and submission to the partners in power,” DUI said.

The party also expressed concern about what it described as the penetration of the “Serbian World” into the country’s political and institutional structures, claiming that concerns over this issue have also been raised in European reports.

Finally, DUI called on VLEN not to hide behind reactions on social media. “VLEN can no longer hide behind a Facebook response. Silence in the face of the glorification of genocide is tolerance, while tolerance in government means shared responsibility,” the statement said.

DUI maintained that VLEN has decided to continue co-governing, regardless of the positions held by its political partners. “For the sake of a few seats, VLEN has chosen to co-govern, remain silent and tolerate,” DUI’s response concluded.

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VLEN has renewed its demand for clarification regarding the tragedy in Tetovo, addressing BDI leader Ali Ahmeti and the Prosecutor’s Office over the decision to close the proceedings related to the procurement of 19 modular hospitals.

According to the party, Ahmeti and BDI were expected to respond following its statement a day earlier, but no response has been given. VLEN stressed that the silence continues even in the face of the tragic incident in Tetovo that claimed the lives of 14 people.

The opposition party also wants to know on what grounds the Prosecutor’s Office decided to close the proceedings concerning the procurement of the modular hospitals. VLEN is seeking a full explanation on the matter from Islam Abazi, who currently heads the Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption.

VLEN believes the matter involves not only legal but also political responsibility. According to the party, the tragedy occurred while BDI was in power, and five years after the investigation began, the victims’ families still face many unanswered questions.

“Yesterday we demanded answers. Today we demand even greater transparency,” VLEN said in its statement. According to the party, the conclusion of proceedings does not put an end to the questions, nor does it eliminate political responsibility.

VLEN said it would continue to keep the issue at the center of public attention until clear answers are provided regarding the circumstances surrounding the 14 victims of the Tetovo tragedy.

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