On her first work day Stefoska said that her task as a minister is the commitment and protection of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. “My goal as a minister is to work on unifying our knowledge to maintain that vital connection of our cultural amalgam, of our common heritage,” she told the press.  

Born in 1967, Irena Stefoska holds a PhD in history from the National History Institute. From 2016 to 2020, she was chair of the parliamentary Committee on Culture and the group for cooperation with the Greek Parliament. She is a professor at the Institute of National History at the University St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. She has conducted research lectures and lectures at eminent universities in Europe and the United States, including the Humboldt University in Berlin, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, the Columbia University in New York, and the Woodrow Wilson Center in the USA, as well as universities in Graz, Belgrade, and Sofia. She was published at home and abroad and has translated professional literature and fiction from English, Serbian, Latin and Bulgarian.  

The parliament of North Macedonia also approved the country's new government cabinet led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. The new cabinet consists of 19 members, seven fewer than previously.