North Macedonia Included in Rule of Law Report for First Time

For the 1st time, developments in North Macedonia are included in the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report, whose 5th edition was published on Wednesday.

“North Macedonia has undergone several waves of judicial reform and adopted a new justice strategy aiming to improve the independence, efficiency, and professionalism of the judiciary.

However, the independence of the judiciary and the institutional capacity to protect it against undue influence remain a serious concern. The level of perceived judicial independence is very low. Concerns also remain regarding the functioning and independence of the Judicial Council, while steps have been taken in this respect.

Appointment decisions for public prosecutors and judges have been criticised by civil society for not being comprehensively motivated or based on objective criteria,” reads, inter alia, the part of the abstract on North Macedonia.