Skopje, 13 September 2023 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski reiterated Wednesday that the amendments to the Criminal Code, which caused controversy due to their swift adoption and the lack of public debate, were adopted in order to help increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the judicial system. 

In answer to media questions, the Prime Minister said the EU flag was not misused during the adoption of the amendments, which, he said, were made in line with legislation within the EU.

Kovachevski also dismissed speculations related to the fact the amendments were adopted at a time when efforts are being made to secure a two-third majority for the constitutional amendments, stressing that nothing dramatic happened after the adoption of the amendments to the Criminal Code, and this demonstrates that “nothing has been done for anything or anyone, but just in order to increase the efficiency of the system.”

“If anyone is communicating with the EU on a daily basis then it is North Macedonia, because, together with Albania, we are leading a screening process with the EU. All processes that are led in our country are in a way communicated with the EU. Often, in our country, there are remarks about the slowness, and rightly so because most things in many areas are moving very slowly, and when something moves fast, I don’t think we should have any remarks about that. What I saw from the US Embassy is that they said they would review what has been adopted, the same was said by the EU,” said Kovachevski.

The PM drew comparisons with the German and Slovenian legislation, stressing that those were the examples that they followed.

“The amendments that were made, were made in line with legislation from the EU. If you take a look at the German legislation, then you will see that the article that was the target of comments in the country because a part of it was deleted, is similar to the German legislation. If you take a look at the sanctions and compare them to Slovenia, then you will see they are on the same level. What we had before was a law in which the sanctions were from some communist era, because they were made by, what I would call, some Darth Vader of the Macedonian judiciary and prosecution, and this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be changed,” said Kovachevski.

On whether the amendments will also include April 27 cases, Kovachevski said the Ministry of Justice should be the one to provide the details.