Party of Pensioners (North Macedonia) explained

Party of Pensioners
Colorcode:
  1. 8263FF
Leader:Ilija Nikolovski
Foundation:[1]
Ideology:Pensioners' interests[2]
Pro-Europeanism
Atlanticism
Agrarianism
Website:https://ppenzioneri.mk/
Country:North Macedonia
Native Name:Партија на пензионери
Colours:Red and purple
Leader2 Title:Vice Presidents
Leader2 Name:Mile Andonovski
Dobre Efremovski[3]
Slogan:Wisdom, Youth and Unity
Position:Centre
National:For a European Future
Seats1 Title:Assembly
Seats2 Title:Mayors
Seats3 Title:Local councils
Seats4 Title:Skopje city council

The Party of Pensioners (Macedonian: Партија на пензионери, Partiјa na penzioneri) is a political party in North Macedonia. In the 2020 elections, the party won one seat as part of the SDSM-led coalition.

History

The party was founded on 12 March 2013 as Party of United Pensioners and Citizens of Macedonia (Macedonian: Партија на обединети пензионери и граѓани на МакедонијаПОПГМ, Partiјa na obedineti penzioneri i gragjani na MakedoniјaPOPGM), with Boris Stojanoski as the chair and 250 others present. It was founded after comments made by then-Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski surrounding pensions, which the party claimed meant that "pensions in the Republic of Macedonia would be the lowest in the region compared to the average paid salary in the country".[4] For the 2016 election, the party formed an electoral alliance with the SDSM and 3 other parties. However, it failed to win any seats.[5] In 2018, the party changed its name to Party of Pensioners (Macedonian: Партија на пензионери, Partiјa na penzioneri).[6] In the We Can coalition in 2020, led again by the SDSM, the party's leader, Ilija Nikolovski, was elected.[7]

Ideology

The main concern for the party is the rights of pensioners. The party's election programme calls for "amendments to the Law on Pension Disability Insurance" and calls pensions a "legal, inalienable and permanent personal right". It states that "NATO and EU membership is the best long-term framework for guaranteeing the preservation of national interests". The programme also proposes a self-sufficient nation with regards to food, and an increased role of agriculture in the Macedonian economy.

In its 2016 election manifesto, POPGM called for a number of electoral reforms, such as the reduction of MPs in the Assembly of North Macedonia from 123 to 90 and limiting the Prime Minister to 2 terms.[8] In addition, it called for the complete secularisation of the government, judicial reform, and reducing emigration from North Macedonia.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: INFORMATION from the Constituent Assembly held of the party "Party of United Pensioners and Citizens of Macedonia" . 29 December 2020 . 7 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170407233748/http://obedinetipenzioneri.mk/sites/default/files/dokumenti/informacija_za_osnovachkoto_sobranie.docx . bot: unknown .
  2. Web site: "PROGRAM of the party "Party of United Pensioners and Citizens of Macedonia - POPGM" . 29 December 2020 . 8 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170408051833/http://obedinetipenzioneri.mk/sites/default/files/dokumenti/programa_na_popgm.doc . bot: unknown .
  3. Web site: Потпретседатели . Партија на пензионери . mk-MK.
  4. Web site: News . 29 December 2020 . 28 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328100136/http://obedinetipenzioneri.mk/node/1 . bot: unknown .
  5. Web site: United pensioners in a pre-election coalition with SDSM and the opposition bloc . Meta.mk . 12 March 2016 . 29 December 2020.
  6. Web site: https://www.facebook.com/ppenzioneri.mk/posts/pfbid02GPzwyifcRyAQQenv8xLYUVAc8g6eHNPfB8eHUHPe4H2WJ2fMGorfgSCpTz4RwsXcl?__cft__[0=AZVzUW1rjxoDFeMpbDpftpnf6QdOy3fznXPT9m79GQxFy7r7BJmy61OoGcD0e5hy78gQiCY4gUOY9M1JykyJu8KQ-7E5N_4LjvlhevQzAb-iP_4wxgPK20ABOishEckRg1PsDPTYkH_cPnMGRQxc9SZEDKYJcfmu9zLfMq4LhXVwqxysmkZbwdTyeEr6ubfdfTU&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R ПАРТИЈАТА НА ОБЕДИНЕТИ ПЕНЗИОНЕРИ И ГРАЃАНИ НА МАКЕДОНИЈА (ПОПГМ) го смени своето име во ПАРТИЈА НА ПЕНЗИОНЕРИ (ПП) ]. Партија на пензионери (Facebook).
  7. Web site: Party of United Pensioners and Citizens of Macedonia - Members of Parliament . ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA . 29 December 2020.
  8. Web site: THE PARTY OF UNITED PENSIONERS AND CITIZENS OF MACEDONIA ANNOUNCED THE ELECTION PROGRAM . ALPOJO . 29 December 2020.