Skopje, 14 November 2025 (MIA) - The reform laws related to the judiciary, i.e., judges and prosecutors, will be adopted by the end of the year, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on Friday. Since their aim is to provide financial independence to the judiciary, Mickoski said analyses will be carried out to see how this is implemented in other European countries but stressed that accountability will be sought for every denar spent by the judiciary.  

Mickoski said several models from member states of the European Union are being analyzed over the budget for the judiciary. “We cannot ask for 0.8 percent [of the state budget to be allocated to the judiciary], while in more developed countries this is 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 percent,” he said.

“We are analyzing several European models to determine what percentage of the budget is allocated and whether it pertains to total revenues or GDP. But they should know that from that moment, they are accountable for every single denar spent on behalf of you, the citizens – from hygiene products to the reconstruction of institutions. They will get that. I am publicly stating that they will get that once we complete a detailed analysis of modern countries. Let them hire people on their own, manage all operational expenses on their own, and pay their own wages within a budget that will be a similar percentage to the several examples we have defined,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister said he would request accountability in return.

“We will ask for only one thing – accountability for every denar spent of the people’s money through the State Audit Office and the parliamentary committee that oversees their work. This is the people’s money, not theirs. As I am controlled, they too will be controlled,” Mickoski said.

However, he said, if the judiciary’s rating remains in single digits, then nothing has been accomplished.

“As Prime Minister, I am first to back this. Let’s see what the obstacle will be then. I also expect Brussels to come out and to say well done and to tell us we are excellent. That we’ve gotten an A. Because that was the problem, wasn’t it? There were no reforms – well, we’ll deliver them by New Year’s. Let’s see whether that’s the obstacle or if there’s something else,” Mickoski stressed.

The PM did not respond to the open letter issued on Friday by the Judicial Council, Supreme Court, and the Association of Judges in which they said Mickoski’s recent statements on the judiciary have crossed the line of proper conduct and have turned into unsubstantiated attacks, accusing him of undermining the democratic principle based on equality of the three branches of power.   

“I will not respond to that type of correspondence. I leave it to the public to judge. Let the citizens say whether they are satisfied with the delivery of justice in Macedonia,” Mickoski said, quizzed about the letter. 

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