A Pool That Waited a Decade: 470 Million Denars to End the Standstill in Ohrid
The government approved 470 million denars to finish the indoor pool in Ohrid, whose construction has stood unfinished for 11 years — money that should answer the question of who exactly kept the project stalled for so long.
The government approved 470 million denars to complete the indoor Olympic pool in Ohrid, whose construction began 11 years ago and has stood stalled ever since. The project, one of the longest-awaited sports facilities in the country, was originally planned to be finished within a few years, but instead became an example of chronic delay in capital investment.
The amount of 470 million denars — not euros, as is sometimes mistakenly reported in public discourse — is meant to cover completion of the remaining construction and installation works. The key question left without a full answer in official announcements is why exactly this sum went missing for so long, and what concrete steps (or their absence) kept the project stalled over the past eleven years.
For Ohrid, a city that lives off tourism and sport, the closed pool has long been a symbol of unused potential — a facility meant to host training and competitions, standing half-empty by the lakeshore instead. The announcement of secured financing is good news, but the real test will be whether the completion deadline is actually honored this time, after eleven years of experience that suggests caution.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 7, 2026
