SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
“There is progress, there is a feeling that things are moving forward, especially with regard to the adoption of constitutional amendments in accordance with the bilateral obligations undertaken with the Agreement between the country and Bulgaria, but unfortunately, despite the political commitments of both sides for the future of North Macedonia in the European Union, there is no common agenda for the necessary reforms. The political gap is deepening and the necessary reforms are therefore going backwards,” assessed European Ambassador David Geer at the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee in the Macedonian Parliament. Geer pointed out that although the rule of law and the fight against corruption are crucial and essential in the process of EU enlargement, there are, as he said, a large number of concerns in these fields in the country, which have deepened in the past months. “It is important to address the deficiencies in the implementation of the relevant laws, thus ensuring the independence and integrity of judges. These issues have recently emerged through the situation in the Judicial Council, a body responsible for protecting and promoting these principles. Politicians and political parties should reject all attempts to capture the institutions, and the Judicial Council and the judiciary have their own responsibilities and obligations. The retirement of judges also affects, so it is a priority to strengthen human resources both in the judiciary and in the prosecution. The process of electing two judges in the Constitutional Court and two members in the Council of Prosecutors has been going on for a long time and should be concluded as soon as possible based on the principle of meritocracy,” Geer said.
