Transparency International Macedonia continues to carry out its regular monthly activities for monitoring cases and activities related to corrupt behavior and the fight against corruption, which we’ve named “Light & Bleak”
The monitoring of these cases has received significant attention, both in the public sphere and among domestic and foreign relevant stakeholders, and over time, it has evolved into a relevant indicator for measuring corruption and assessing the government’s willingness to address this issue.
“BLEAK” OCCURRENCES FOR APRIL 2026
Report of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption: The integrity system exists on paper but is weak in practice — Institutions in the country formally establish the integrity system, but its real implementation remains uneven and often insufficient, especially in the areas of risk management and conflict of interest, the report of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption states.The analysis shows that the integrity system needs to move from a declarative to an operational phase, with clear procedures, accountability mechanisms, and real application of the rules, particularly in sensitive areas such as public procurement, gifts, and the management of discretionary powers. The report points out that a key problem remains the fact that many institutions adopt the necessary acts, but they are not implemented in practice, which directly affects citizens’ trust and the effectiveness of the system.
The Judicial Council decides on Strasbourg rulings non-transparently and behind closed doors — The Blueprint Group for Judicial Reform expressed serious concern over the decision of the Judicial Council of the Republic of North Macedonia to exclude the public from its session held on April 15. The reaction comes after the Council decided behind closed doors on a request to reopen proceedings based on a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Non-governmental organizations that monitor the judiciary assess that such practice represents a serious deviation from the principles of transparency and accountability, and that when the Judicial Council decides on such sensitive issues without the presence of the public, legal certainty and the already fragile trust in the institution are directly called into question. The Blueprint Group for Judicial Reform also reacted to the “insufficiently transparent” adoption of the Report on the work of the Judicial Council — The group expressed concern about what it describes as the insufficiently transparent conduct of the Judicial Council of the Republic of North Macedonia during the adoption of the 2025 Work Report. According to the group, the adoption process raises problems in several key aspects, including the limited substantive involvement of civil society organizations, the insufficient analytical content of the report, and the absence of a reasoned and in-depth discussion at the session. The Blueprint Group points out that although civil society organizations were formally invited to the session, they were not given the opportunity for meaningful participation in the debate, which, as they state, is contrary to the recommendations of the European Union’s Evaluation Mission and the Rules of Procedure of the Judicial Council.
The Cadastre Agency with irregularities in property records and inventory — In its latest final report for 2024, the State Audit Office expressed a qualified opinion regarding the truthfulness and objectivity of the financial statements of the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre. Although the institution complies with legal regulations in terms of transactions, auditors identified serious shortcomings in the accounting records of state-owned property and in the implementation of the inventory process. One of the key findings of the audit is that Cadastre Agency failed to record two construction facilities for which it has acquired the right of permanent use.
Corruption is present in every second procurement in healthcare, says a new study – Healthcare institutions often evaluate submitted bids imprecisely and using inconsistent criteria, selecting offers that do not meet the requirements of the tender documentation, among other findings stated in the research by the Center for Civil Communications on corrupt practices in public procurement in healthcare identified through complaints. According to the study, in 71 percent of company complaints, the decision on the selection of the most favorable bid is challenged, indicating that the main source of irregularities in healthcare tenders is the evaluation of bids as the phase with the highest risk of favoring certain bidders.One of the most common problems is the lack of clarity regarding the required documentation for the distribution and import of medicines, which creates administrative obstacles in the tender procedure and increases the risk of subjective decision-making.
Reporters Without Borders 2026: Macedonia drops to 45th place, economic pressure is suffocating journalism — The new Media Freedom Index shows that Macedonian journalism survives on donations and is exposed to pressure from marketing agencies, while state funding remains non-transparent. The organization Reporters Without Borders ranked Macedonia 45th out of 180 countries in the 2026 Media Freedom Index, three places lower than the previous year. With a score of 69.49, the country records a decline in the economic indicator, where it is ranked as low as 61st place. The main reasons include non-transparent state funding, dependence on foreign donors, and pressure from marketing agencies on newsrooms.
“LIGHT” OCCURRENCES FOR APRIL 2026
Over 7,000 verdicts in the Criminal Court in three months: 620 verdicts for adults, 6,534 misdemeanors in a quarter — The Basic Criminal Court Skopje has published the first edition of its e-newsletter in an effort to increase transparency and bring its work closer to the public. In its first issue, the court presents concrete figures on its performance in the first quarter of 2026, along with examples from judicial practice and messages aimed at strengthening trust in the judiciary. According to the published data, within a three-month period, 620 verdicts were issued for adult offenders, 60 for juveniles, and as many as 6,534 rulings in misdemeanor proceedings. In the area of organized crime and corruption, the court reports that various types of measures were imposed, including effective detention, house arrest, precautionary measures, as well as verdicts based on plea agreements. According to the data, in the reporting year 2025, the Basic Criminal Court Skopje managed to keep up with incoming cases and reduce the backlog. Out of the total number of cases in progress, it resolved 86.19% of them. Based on these figures, the Basic Criminal Court Skopje is considered an efficient court for 2025.
Natural resources are a common good – “Eco Justice” opened a petition against the laws on mineral raw materials and concessions – The civil organization “Eco Justice” launched a public online petition against the proposed amendments to the Law on Mineral Raw Materials and the Law on Concessions and Public-Private Partnership, which are in parliamentary procedure. The proposed amendments create a real risk of negative consequences for the public interest, including easier granting of concessions and opening of new mines, thereby increasing the pressure on natural resources. Furthermore, expansion of the possibilities for private entities to initiate projects of ‘public interest’, without sufficiently clear criteria. Also, potential misuse of the term ‘public interest’, which may result in expropriation of private property. At the same time, long-term consequences for the environment – pollution of water, soil and air, as well as risks to the health of the population, especially in local communities,” it is stated in the petition.
Court police officer and courier are suspected of bribery they received a bribe for an acquittal ruling in the Court of Appeal – A public prosecutor from the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption issued orders to conduct an investigative procedure against two persons for whom there is reasonable suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of Receiving Reward for Unlawful Influence. The suspects – a court police officer and a courier from the Basic Criminal Court Skopje – in the period from August 2025 to 07.04.2026 directly received a reward in the amount of 500 euros and 60,000 denars from a witness, for the court police officer’s mediation in higher courts with the aim of securing an acquittal verdict.
