Skopje, 7 March 2023 (MIA) — It is highly important for a country to have a strong constitutional culture, a prerequisite for its progress, and for politics and the judiciary to be kept separate, according to Christoph Grabenwarter, President of the Constitutional Court of Austria at a meeting Tuesday with Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Good Governance Policies Slavica Grkovska on a working visit to Vienna.

According to an official press release, Deputy PM Grkovska at the meeting stressed the importance of policies guaranteeing independence and professionalism in institutional decision-making. This, she said, was particularly pertinent for the Constitutional Court, the guardian of the constitutional order and human rights.

Grkovska discussed with Grabenwarter the work of her Cabinet for Good Governance Policies aimed at promoting anti-corruption policies. She also spoke about the need of strengthening the merit system, especially in the judiciary, which she said needed to set specific criteria for the selection of judges and prosecutors at all levels.

“Politics and the judiciary must be kept separate, which is a practice established in Austria,” Grabenwarter said, adding it was a good European practice to aspire to.

They also exchanged opinions on how to strengthen the position and trust in constitutional judges. mr/