After clashes between supporters of the ruling party and the opposition, in which 17 people were injured, including 11 police officers and two representatives, yesterday was calm in Macedonia.
The conflict occurred during the voting on the budget for the next year. The ruling party VMRO-DPMNE used its majority position in parliament to ignore all opposition amendments and pass the budget without discussion.
Soon, supporters of the ruling party arrived in front of parliament, and eventually, special police had to intervene to separate the conflicting sides.
The new budget provides for a 7 percent increase in pensions, and allocations for agriculture as well as social and health care have also been significantly increased. The opposition claims that such a budget is demagogic and unsustainable and that the country will sink even deeper into crisis.
Branko Crvenkovski wanted to seize power with about 3,000 of his supporters. The people opposed Branko Crvenkovski. There were at least three times as many citizens opposing him. The people turned against Branko Crvenkovski. This is what happens when someone wants to seize power through violence in a democratic state, without the support of citizens in free and democratic elections, emphasized the Prime Minister of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski.
The opposition social democrats of Branko Crvenkovski, who has been the leader of the reformed communists for 21 years, claim that the budget should be reduced by 8 percent, or 260 million dollars, and accuse the government of unnecessarily spending on the construction of luxurious public administration buildings. Furthermore, the National Bank of Macedonia predicts that in 2012, the total economic growth will be 0 percent.
