URMV Union: The Minister of Defense has violated the laws, the situation in the Army has deteriorated dramatically

Macedonia

Express newspaper

14/04/2026 11:25

The President of the Independent Union of Professional Soldiers, Aleksandar Naskovski, has made serious accusations of illegal actions in the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia, claiming that the rights of members of the Army are being systematically violated.

According to him, Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski has committed three main violations of the law.

"First, the Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski did not approve the Plan for the Reception and Deployment of Professional Soldiers in accordance with Article 40-a, paragraph 2 of the Law on Service in the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. Specifically, according to Article 40-a, it is determined: The Minister of Defense is obliged to approve the plan from paragraph 2 of Article 40-a no later than December 31 of the current year and the following year. In the event that the plan for the reception and deployment is not approved within the deadline specified in paragraph 3 of this article, the Minister of Defense will pay a fine in the amount of 15.000 euros in denar equivalent.

At the request of the Union, the Acquisition Plan has not been submitted to us for the first time since this legal obligation exists. By doing so, the Minister of Defense does not apply the law to the detriment of professional soldiers and in accordance with Article 40-a, paragraph 5, he must pay a fine in the amount of 15.000 euros in the denar equivalent.", the letter from Naskovski states.

The second case refers, as they say, to indirect discrimination confirmed by the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination, regarding the failure to transform contracts from fixed-term to indefinite-term.

"On 16.07.2025, with No. 08-117/4, the KSZD issued an opinion on the proven indirect discrimination against professional soldiers serving in the Army of the Republic of Macedonia due to the failure to transform the employment relationship from a fixed-term to an indefinite term in accordance with the Law on Labor Relations of the Republic of Macedonia.

To date, after the expiry of the maximum legal period of six months (16.01.2026) under Article 27, paragraph 3 of the Law on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination, the Ministry of Defense has not acted on any recommendation from the KPMD, i.e. it has neither transformed the contract of professional soldiers, nor has it initiated a procedure for amending the Law on Service. Discrimination against professional soldiers continues and causes great damage to professional soldiers and the budget of the RMV., he concludes.