Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Maricic told Monday’s explanatory screening meeting on the functioning of democratic institutions it is an area of essential importance for every democratic society and one that requires maximum commitment.

The reform processes are not only about introducing new legislation but also about changing the mentality and style of governance. We know and have experience of how important the rule of law is, as well as having independent and efficient institutions that guarantee the same, said Maricic.

As announced by the SEP, the Deputy Prime Minister and Chief Negotiator Maricic emphasized at the meeting that Macedonia has made enormous progress in recent years, especially in terms of the rule of law and the return of democracy by building strong and functional institutions that work on the principles of accountability, transparency and inclusiveness, which successfully responded to the setback noted in the last Report of the European Commission.

In the past several election cycles, we have shown the ability to organize fair and competitive elections as confirmed by the OSCE/ODIHR. Regarding the electoral reform, several amendments were made to the Electoral Code in order to address the recommendations pending from the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Reports, as well as the recommendations and best practices of the Venice Commission, Maricic emphasized, adding that the continuation of the electoral reform is among priorities as the Government, through an inclusive and transparent new Electoral Code.