SDSM Proposes Raising Minimum Wage to 36,000 Denars
The opposition's proposal includes contribution subsidies for employers to soften the impact of the increase.
Opposition party SDSM announced it will again submit a legislative proposal to raise the minimum wage to 36,000 denars, or around €600, along with a proposal to subsidize employer contributions.
The size of the minimum wage remains a recurring topic of political debate in the country, with the opposition traditionally pushing for rapid increases while the government typically responds with arguments about fiscal sustainability and the impact on domestic companies' competitiveness.
Subsidies as an Accompanying Measure
The proposed contribution subsidy is an attempt to soften the potential impact on employers from a direct minimum wage increase — a mechanism already used in previous legislative initiatives to reduce resistance to higher mandated labor costs.
It remains to be seen whether the proposal will find support in Parliament, where opposition initiatives like this often fail to pass without cooperation from the ruling majority.
MKNews Hub · Politics · September 4, 2026