The Zaev regime failed in its promise to reform the judiciary, and is in fact keeping judges and prosecutors blackmailed and under pressure so they will continue to deliver verdicts on demand, said opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski.

SDSM even lied about the vetting of judges they promised, because they prefer to keep the judges on a short leash so they will keep pardoning their crimes. The whole year we kept hearing about this vetting and it never happened. Our response to this proposal was that we need a vetting of politicians, rather than judges, and I was attacked for it. Now even the Justice Minister acknowledges that the idea will not be implemented. So long as we have someone like Zaev to order the judges around, the crime will continue to be pardoned and allowed, Mickoski said in a public statement.

The vetting process was meant to be used to investigatee financial and business links judges and prosecutors have, and to determine if some of them are abusing their office. The Zaev regime is extensively using the judiciary to attack political opponents.