‘When we Help, we Expect Authorities to Deliver too’, Says EU Delegation Head

The Head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador David Geer, considers that partnership between the EU and North Macedonia’s authorities is failing.

Over the past two years, the Union has donated MRI and CT scan machines to eight hospitals. However, as he said on Wednesday, they are barely used. On average, they cover 2,800 patients, but that figure in EU countries is 8,400. The Emergency Medical Service in Skopje has received seven ambulances as a donation from the EU.

“This is a partnership. When we help, we expect the authorities to deliver too. Citizens expect that also. We have to do better,” he said, urging all concerned to use maximally the donated equipment that, as he stressed, is in the interest of as many patients as possible.

What the EU finds concerning is also the weak wish of institutions to implement the recommendations of the State Corruption for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) that provide for greater control of spending of taxpayer money and employments in the administration sector. However, the SCPC’s recommendations for state resources not to be abused for party purposes were violated by the EU Delegation Head himself, when he met DUI leader Ali Ahmeti at the Political System Ministry building in December of last year.

“It was my mistake, but there we are. I should have done better,” he stated.