Macedonia, drowning under garbage and rats

BarcelonaPiles and piles of garbage bags are accumulating on the sidewalks of Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. For weeks, residents have been unable to throw their trash into the containers because they are overflowing. In some areas, the bags reach the height of a third-story building, residents report. In others, stray animals rummaging through the waste are scattering it throughout the city. The result? An unbearable stench and a rodent infestation that has forced authorities to declare a state of public health emergency.

"[The rats] come out of basements and sewers, and feed and reproduce. In a month, each animal will produce an average of 10 pups," warned epidemiologist Nikola Panovski in a Facebook post. The country's main newspaper, Sloboden PečatThe newspaper opened on Saturday with a stark headline: "City of Rats," accompanied by a drawing of a giant rodent on the front page. Locals aren't exactly laughing either: rumors are circulating online that the authorities have ordered a "shipment of cats" to end the plague.

The problem is not new. Macedonians have long lived drowning in uncollected waste, while illegal dumpsites proliferate on the outskirts of cities. There, waste is burned uncontrollably, generating harmful effects on the air, soil, and people's health. But the scope and visibility of waste mismanagement have intensified recently, to the point that they have led to criminal charges. The Macedonian Public Prosecutor's Office reported this week that two members of the management of the municipal waste collection company, Community Hygiene, were arrested, accused of endangering the environment and public health, as well as mismanaging public funds.

The truth is that the company has long been the subject of a partisan power struggle between the mayor of Skopje, Danela Arsovska, and the city council—dominated by the conservative coalition VMRO-DPMNE and VLEN—which has paralyzed its operations. While Arsovska claims the council is blocking the company's bids, her rivals accuse her of mismanagement and negligence.

For its part, the company denies any responsibility and attributes the situation to structural deficiencies. In a letter to the media, the company's board asserts that it has complied with "all investment plans and operational programs required by law" and states that it has repeatedly warned the City Council about the company's "financial instability and reduced operational capacity." Furthermore, it alleges that between 30% and 40% of its truck fleet was out of service in mid-October due to a lack of municipal funds to maintain the vehicles and cover fuel costs.

Political pollution

Waste also tainted the election campaign for the municipal elections, whose second round is on November 2nd, overshadowing all other issues. Of the two candidates vying for mayor, the center-right Orce Gjorgjievski has promised to "clean up Skopje in 72 hours" if elected, while his left-wing rival, Amar Mecinovic, proposes a complete overhaul of the waste management system and investment in technology to convert household waste into biofuel. While the candidates make empty promises, the filthy streets have become a symbol of profound institutional failure. On paper, North Macedonia is approaching European environmental standards, but in practice, waste management remains a major challenge. A lack of funding, infrastructure, and civic awareness, coupled with endemic corruption, has turned waste into a chronic problem. The country barely recycles, and the infrastructure is not in place to handle the volume of waste generated. According to official data, 878,303 tons of municipal waste were generated in 2023—that is, about 503 kilos per inhabitant—and 99.8% of this waste ended up in landfills. According to the organization Civil Today, the recycling rate in the country does not reach 1%, one of the lowest figures in the entire Balkan region.