The Parliament today expressly adopted changes to the Criminal Code that will greatly reduce prison terms for abuse of office.

The proposal was made by the ruling coalition, using the EU flag procedure that cuts short the debate and prevents filibustering. 48 representatives from the majority voted in favor, while 36 from the opposition were against.

Opposition representatives accused Deputy Justice Minister Viktorija Avramovska – Madic and the Government in general of violating the EU procedure that is meant only for proposals that align Macedonia’s laws with those of the EU. Avramovska insisted that that is precisely the case in this proposal.