Macedonia's businessmen against early elections: Will block businesses

On the other hand, says Radio Free Europe, economic experts consider that if early parliamentary elections are organised, the biggest blow will take over the private sector.

These reactions come after Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's stance that “if talks with the opposition fail to secure two-thirds of the votes needed for constitutional changes, as part of the name issue agreement, then early elections, which could be held in late November, remain as the only” option.

Economy expert Wisar Ademi tells Radio Free Europe that in such a situation, the economy will be put aside and all energy will be guided in political developments.

The private sector will be more conservative in terms of their investments in profit. On the other hand, foreign investors would not (be willing to invest) in a country where there are conservative forces that want to see Macedonia out of NATO and the EU, and for that reason they would be more restrictive in the decision to pour their capital into this country”, Ademi says.

While Lube Trpeski, former governor of the Macedonian People's Bank for Radio Free Europe, estimates that at this moment the whole focus should be placed on the agreement on the name issue with Greece to life and the country to become a former member of Euro-Atlantic structures. That way, says Trpeski, “economic development will receive a powerful impulse, because with the country's membership in NATO and the EU for companies from Macedonia, a market of 500 million consumers is opened by”.

“First all efforts must be made to ensure two-thirds of the vote and constitutional changes approved, there is always enough time for elections. Now of vital interest is not to issue the historic chance for the country's future, when the doors to Macedonia's NATO and EU membership are open”, Trpeski says.

He adds that the elections will block any activity in the economic plan if elections are organised and everything will be oriented towards the profit of the vote.

For a month or two, the campaign and election body will last, the entire government will be preoccupied with elections”, says Lube Trpeski, adding that no one in such a situation dares to invest until the political climate is sustainable.

Economics expert Wisar Ademi, on the other hand, says that macroeconomic policies in case of the election body are to be passed into second or third plans and budget tools will be directed in organising the elections.

“All deviation, the whole focus will be on creating a political consensus and will not be the focus on economic issues”, he says.

Images from Skopje.
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By contrast, even from Macedonia's Economic Oda have demanded that “process after the referendum be completed as soon as” -- as they have emphasised, political lack and stability can lead to the annulment of the productivity companies planned and will be more sensitive to making investments.

While the government of Macedonia expresses the belief that growth projections of over 3 per cent will be realised, experts say this forecast is highly ambitious, stressing that Macedonia will be happy if it remains, as they say, in a positive “zero”.