Skopje, 24 March 2026 (MIA) – Unselective approach in processing high corruption cases will contribute to restoring public trust in the institutions. The citizens have to be confident that the report will result in closure without them feeling any consequences. Effective fight against corruption also requires urgent digitization, reinforced inter-institutional coordination and visible results from financial investigations and asset confiscation. The efficiency of the anti-corruption system doesn’t only depend on the quality of the legal framework, but also on the human capacity implementing it, it was concluded at Tuesday’s session of the National Convention on the European Union in North Macedonia (NCEU-MK) on anti-corruption and financial control.

Financial Police head Slobodan Ivanovski said that when corruption is widespread, the country weakens by a disease that is “malign.” “That’s why the institutions have the duty and the responsibility to prevent the disease.”

He said he is proud that his institution has opened corruption probes into current officials. “It is the only way to show the institutions are functional and that everyone should be held responsible.”

Referring to financial investigations, Ivanovski said corruption usually is committed during public procurement procedures, noting “it’s no secret.”

He mentioned that the Financial Police in 2025 conducted 58 financial investigations. Previous years, including 2020, 2021, 2022, recorded single-digit investigations. “There is a huge increase in financial investigations, which is our top goal,” Ivanovski stressed.

Speaking about the activities of the anti-corruption commission to restore public trust in the institutions, President of the State Commission of the Prevention of Corruption, Adem Chuchulj, said the most important thing is to conduct activities as part of their legal authorisations.

“The preparation of a national strategy is almost done,” he said adding that the anti-corruption commission continues to develop the integrity system. 

“This year we focus on the judiciary – the top judicial instances have signed the integrity policies. We expect the entire judiciary to accept them because they create a system resilient to corruption. It is the only way to stand in the way of corruption,” Chuchulj said.

The system’s efficiency is measured by the capability of discovering, freezing and confiscating criminal profit, said Dragana Bikovska, President of the National Commission for Financial Investigation and Asset Confiscation and advisor to the deputy premier on good governance policies. 

“Financial investigations and confiscation of illegally acquired assets is not only a legal instrument, but also an economic and systemic tool to protect the market, the integrity of the institutions and public trust. The vision is clear. Criminal capital should be removed from the economy, the institutions should be synchronised and results should be visible,” stated Bikovska. 

She said the new strategy for strengthening the capacities for conducting financial investigations and confiscation of assets for the period 2025-2028 is a key reform document and its goal is to create an efficient, coordinated and measurable system for detecting, monitoring and confiscating illegally acquired assets.

Mileva Gjurovska, national NCEU-MK coordinator, said that despite negative public perception dominating about rule of law, experts have been having positive views.

This is reaffirmed, she said, by comparative analyses in regional context in which the Republic of North Macedonia made progress in adopting recommendation for prevention of corruption. A fresh approach towards European Commission recommendations is visible especially by implementing the Growth Plan. 

Participants in the session concluded that the adoption of laws is only the beginning of reforms and the citizens will be able to assess them only if their see that improvement has been made – from healthcare to public services. 

Photo: MIA