Skopje, 23 January 2026 (MIA) — The Ministry of Justice is evaluating the current challenges facing the judiciary and developing specific measures to overcome systemic judicial flaws, Minister of Justice Igor Filkov told a press conference Friday.

"The public has witnessed events and cases that have further heightened concerns over the integrity, accountability and functioning of the judiciary and the prosecution. These phenomena cannot be relativized or ignored," Minister Filkov said.

He said the lack of progress in solving high-level corruption cases and the lack of an institutional response to well-founded allegations were destroying public trust in the system.

"When high-level corruption cases remain unresolved for years and when obvious suspicions do not receive an institutional response, citizens rightly ask: Where is the justice?"

A particularly alarming example of high-level corruption was prosecutors' recent discovery of EUR 350,000 stashed in a wall in the parental home of an Appellate Court justice, Filkov said.

"This is not just a scandal," he said. 

"It is a symbol of deep systemic weakness, a symbol of a culture of impunity, silence and mutual protection that has been eroding trust in the legal system for too long," he said. 

Being a judge is a job "serving the interest of citizens, instead of a privilege," he said.

The justice minister also pointed out problems in the prosecution, including insufficient efficiency, limited capacities and a lack of determination in dealing with serious crime.

"Trust in the judiciary and the prosecution has been seriously undermined. That trust cannot be restored overnight," Filkov said.

He said the problems were systemic and required long-term, comprehensive interventions.

"Without thorough and well-targeted reforms, these phenomena will continue to occur," the justice minister said, adding that his ministry was taking a systemic approach to assessing the situation in the judiciary and deciding on specific steps to take next.

Filkov also said the Ministry of Justice would be responding to all allegations of abuse of office and addressing systemic flaws through institutional interventions. mr/