Prime Minister Mickoski’s statements about introducing a special tax for citizens who are not formally married are not only scandalous, but represent a direct attack on personal freedoms, equality, and fundamental human rights.

This proposal is deeply discriminatory and ignores the real circumstances in which thousands of people in our country live.

In North Macedonia, many citizens either cannot or choose not to enter into a formal marriage — whether because they are members of the LGBTI+ community and are legally denied access to that institution, because of economic insecurity, or simply because they do not wish to reduce their love and partnership to bureaucratic paperwork.

Instead of legally recognizing gender and diversity, and working toward a society in which every person can live with dignity, the Government is sending a message that love and partnership are valid only when they fit a narrow, heteronormative, and patriarchal model.

Such measures further deepen economic and social inequality and increase pressure on vulnerable communities.

TransformA believes that the true priorities of the state should be:

• Promoting gender equality and protecting women and other marginalized groups from violence;
• Creating opportunities for economic independence and a dignified life for all citizens;
• Legally regulating and recognizing diverse forms of partnership, including those of LGBTI+ people;
• Developing policies that respect personal choice, diversity, and the variety of family models.

Marriage must be a free and personal decision — not an instrument of financial control or a means of politically enforcing moral standards.

We call on the institutions to stop using economic insecurity as a tool for controlling people’s bodies and lives. Love must not be taxed. Marriage is not a moral obligation, but a personal choice. Human rights and dignity must never depend on whom we love or the kind of community we build.