Macedonian citizens are worried the most about socio-economic problems, such as unemployment, poverty and corruption

Macedonian citizens are worried the most about socio-economic problems, such as unemployment, poverty and corruption. There is a mild growth of confidence in institutions, among which the Macedonian Government. These are just some of the conclusions in the quarterly UNDP Early Warning Report, which was presented in Skopje on Friday. The report is based on data acquired from the public survey by BRIMA-GALUP to 1,055 citizens, as well as international reports and reports by domestic experts. According to the report, interethnic relations are not a problem for majority of citizens, but if somebody heated up the situation, they could grow into a problem, evaluators say. Report presenter Saso Ordanovski emphasized that the results show that Macedonia has come out of the unpleasant atmosphere, while citizens' perception was located on problems of the socio-economic fields. According to Ordanovski and UNDP Resident Representative to Macedonia Frode Mauring, citizens expected a lot from the upcoming local elections. "The elections are a critical step towards the decentralization process, which is an important historical moment for the democratic development of a state. The election of the new municipal authorities will result in the undertaking of numerous competencies from a central level, thus enabling mayors and councilors to do more for their citizens", Mauring stated.