The opposition party SDSM has strongly criticized the VMRO-DPMNE government, accusing them of causing a complete collapse of the energy sector in North Macedonia during their first year in power. SDSM spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzeska stated that the Minister of Energy, Sanja Bozinovska, has delivered “0 results, 0 reforms, 0 projects” and is responsible for the current “energy chaos” that citizens are allegedly paying dearly for.

Kuzeska claims that energy dependence is higher than ever and that Macedonia has imported more electricity in the first year of VMRO-DPMNE’s rule than in the previous three years combined. She also alleges that the new management of ESM, the largest electricity producer, has spent one billion denars more, with the company’s costs increasing by an additional 400 million denars. According to Kuzeska, this ultimately leads to more expensive electricity for citizens.

Kuzeska pointed to specific issues within the energy sector, asserting that ESM underperformed by 35% of its planned production for 2025. She highlighted that REK Bitola, a key energy plant, did not operate for more than seven days, which is a historic low for the past 35 years. Additionally, REK Oslomej has reportedly not been returned to the grid since June 8th, and a landslide at the Suvodol mine is allegedly threatening production and worker safety.

Kuzeska also raised concerns about potential corruption within the Ministry of Energy, questioning whether the minister has a contract for legal consultations with a lawyer connected to VMRO-DPMNE. She hinted at the existence of a “corrupt network” and promised to reveal more information about this in the future.