Germany stands firmly behind the European future of the Western Balkans and supports the countries from the region in their reform efforts, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet said. Due to the reports on the countries being released late, the deadline for opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania was too short. “Before making this […]
On August 22, after the court vacation, comes the next scheduled hearing for the “Monster” case, for the brutal murder of four boys and a fisherman seven years ago near Smilkovo Lake, and that is when the public will see the new discoveries of the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office concerning this case. Yesterday’s hearing led […]
After serving three terms as mayor, Edmond Temelko was defeated in local elections in Pustec, Albania. The new mayor of Albanian municipality of Pustec, which is mainly populated by ethnic Macedonians is Pali Kolefski. In the controversial elections, Kolefski was the candidate of the Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Kolefski’s victory, a longtime […]
All Ministry of Interior employees will be covered by the vetting process, including a check-up of their vocational education, integrity, property and possible criminal activities by certain structures within the ministry, said Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski. Minister Spasovski told reporters the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office should also be interested in the vetting […]
“Transparency Macedonia” launched a project on “Monitoring the Work, Effectiveness, Transparency and Accountability of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption”, which is to be implemented in partnership with the Institute for Human Rights, and with the support of the British Embassy in Skopje. President of the Institute for Human Rights Margarita Caca Nikolovska noted […]
Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said that Turkey will ratify North Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol within a month at the latest. “As Turkey’s Parliament Speaker, I sent the protocol to the Foreign Affairs Committee, where a discussion is underway. The Committee’s agenda is tight, but I spoke to the Chairman of the Committee asking him […]
Camps of refugees from Middle East in North Macedonia seem empty, but authorities and humanitarian organizations raise the alarm about the increase in the number of refugees coming into the country. In April, these refugee centers welcomed 22 people, while in May these centers welcomed 19 people. Meanwhile, the number of refugees crossing the border […]
“Many German citizens have personal relations with people from the Western Balkans, many people from the Western Balkans live in Germany and represent a bridge between the countries. The people of these countries are our neighbors and their perspective is to join the EU while meeting all criteria,” Chancellor Merkel told Sunday’s video-podcast regarding this […]
North Macedonia held its first Pride parade on the streets of the country’s capital Skopje on Saturday. The parade was attended by supporters from North Macedonia and abroad, and was covered by domestic and global media. “We are far from full respect of the LGBTI community, but this is an important step in the right […]
Luxembourg, Iceland, the UK, Spain, the U.S., Italy, the Netherlands, France and Turkey are the countries that are left to ratify North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi told reporters on Friday. He expects ratification procedures to be wrapped up by autumn. In the UK Parliament, Xhaferi said, the procedure doesn’t involve a […]
Eleven people were charged with abuse of office and misconduct, according to MoI’s initial information on a police operation conducted Friday morning at several locations in Skopje. Among those charged is former Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski and co-workers, two notaries, and one person from the Cadastre Agency. The Primary Public Prosecutor’s Office […]
An unusual morning scene in the Budapest Court. Former Prime Minister Gruevski with his trademark sunglasses Maybach and a baseball hat, as if he was on a beach in Tel Aviv, entered the courtroom, accompanied by police officers in civilian attire, where they decided on the request of the North Macedonian authorities for his extradition. […]
In its report on corruption prevention in respect of top executive functions and law enforcement agencies in North Macedonia, Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on the Government to increase transparency of its work and to de-politicise the country’s police force. Expressing particular concern at the lack of transparency in respect […]
Fugitive former PM Nikola Gruevski posted on Facebook after he was arrested this morning and questioned by a Hungarian court over the extradition request by the North Macedonian government. “Today, a standard procedure was carried out in the institutions in Hungary after the criminal and racketeering government in Macedonia filed an extradition request. The court […]
Goce Delchev, who is considered to be a national hero in both Bulgaria and North Macedonia, has cast doubts on the agreement for good neighbouring relations achieved between Sofia and Skopje a year ago. Experts from both countries are discussing as to whom belongs this historical figure in an attempt to settle all disputes that […]
MPs in North Macedonia are debating today on the recent cabinet reshuffle, which consists on the appointment of six new ministers. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that the government is expected to focus more on the economy and the improvement of living standards. Zaev said that the government will increase salaries and pensions. “Foreign investments […]
Hungary decided not to extradite former Prime Minister, now fugitive, Nikola Gruevski, according to a Budapest court ruling on Thursday. The court said extradition requirements were not met and refused to fulfill the Ministry of Justice’s request for Gruevski’s extradition to North Macedonia. Earlier today, Hungarian media published courtroom photos and video of Gruevski wearing […]
A few minutes after the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption ( SCPS) sent a decree to the Assembly that the prime minister cannot be the finance minister at the same time, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev took the floor at the legislature and announced that he was withdrawing from the ministerial post. “I gave […]
I expect Bulgaria and North Macedonia to maintain good-neighborly relations, said Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at the Plovdiv Economic Forum on Wednesday. PM Borissov expressed hope that the coming meeting of the Berlin Process in Poznan will take a decision that North Macedonia and Bulgaria jointly host the next summit. “We have been at […]
Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Soreide and FM Nikola Dimitrov discussed bilateral cooperation, regional development, and North Macedonia’s accession to NATO and the EU, the ministers told a press conference Wednesday. Norway doubled its support to the Western Balkans in the past two years, according to Minister Eriksen Soreide, to focus on projects […]
