The student meal subsidy is 140 denars, students demand 200, and the minister says an inflation-based calculation gives 147

Representatives of student councils on October 28 met Prime Minister Mickoski and Education Minister Vesna Janevska about the subsidised student meal. The students say they received no answer to their demand for 200 denars. Janevska, for her part, says the problem will be resolved soon and that a voucher system on the Slovenian model has been offered.

The numbers. The meal is now 140 denars a day and was last raised in 2023. Students demand 200, that is 60 more. Janevska said an inflation-based calculation would allow an increase of only 7 denars, to 147, according to Racin on October 26. That leaves a gap of 53 denars a day. The ministry is considering changing the methodology but has not decided.

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An illustration. If a student uses the meal 20 days a month, the 60-denar difference is 1,200 denars a month. That is our illustration, since the number of days and of students has not been published.

What students ask for. Besides 200 denars, they want the meal to be usable in supermarkets, not only in restaurants and bakeries. The president of the UKIM student council said an increase alone is not enough for a restaurant meal, because food prices, including in restaurants, have risen faster than average inflation.

What the government offers. The model, similar to Slovenia’s, would mean vouchers that students use at food outlets such as snack bars, bakeries and restaurants. Students announced a student referendum on a platform where only students vote, to choose between the proposed reforms, that is cards or vouchers and an app, and the current system.

The budget. The second rebalance of the 2026 budget does not cut the meal subsidy but reduces funds for energy renovation of student dormitories by 200 million denars, more than a third of the original plan. Racin writes that the renovation is not cancelled but has significantly less money for 2026, and there is no clear explanation of which renovations are affected. The rebalance foresees revenue of 374.2 billion and expenditure of 420.5 billion denars, about 5.3 billion less, while the deficit stays at 46.3 billion, or 4.1 percent of GDP. On October 28 there were 124 amendments to it in the Committee on Finance and Budget.

What is not stated. The number of students who use the meal, the total cost of the subsidy and when parliament will vote on the rebalance have not been published. It is also not known how many amendments concern the student meal.

The percentages. The proposed 147 denars is an increase of 5 percent over the current 140. The demand for 200 denars is an increase of about 42.9 percent. The gap of 53 denars a day is therefore larger than the increase allowed by the inflation calculation itself, which explains why the dispute is not settled with a small compromise.

What does it mean? The 53-denar daily gap is the measurable point of the dispute. Whether it is resolved with a higher amount, vouchers or a card will be seen after the referendum and after the vote on the rebalance.

MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 29, 2026