Parliament Watch: Monitoring Report on the Debate Quality in the Parliament (January – June 2025)
The report indicates a relatively low level of debate quality in the Parliament for the current mandate, confirming that there is significant room for improvement. The average debate quality score for the first half of 2025 is 5.7 on a scale of 1-10. This represents a slight improvement (+.2) compared to the previous monitoring period [...] Gender representation and thematic visibility: Female MPs and marginalised groups in the Parliament
The analysis of gender representation and the representation of marginalised groups in the Parliament of North Macedonia shows a multifaceted dynamic. Although female MPs make up 37% of the composition, their representation in working bodies and committees indicates thematic segregation: they are more present in committees that have a social character, while male MPs dominate [...] Fostering Debate on Accountability and Anti-Corruption
The project’s overarching goal is to contribute to the reform process in North Macedonia by strengthening the Parliament’s role in the fight against corruption and its leadership in implementing and monitoring rule-of-law reforms. This will be achieved through sustained engagement with political parties—including their leadership and youth organisations, parliament members, civil society, and citizens. The [...] Local Elections Handbook 2025
The Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis“, Skopje (IDSCS) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) office in Skopje present the first volume of the Republic of North Macedonia’s 2025 Local Elections Handbook. The handbook provides an overview of the 2025 local elections, as well as the history of the country’s local elections, the electoral system, and the participants in [...] Discerning the perceptual gap between the EU policies and the countries’ expectations and needs
The GEO-POWER-EU project has released a new, timely report on the elite perceptions of the EU’s enlargement policy in the Western Balkans (WB6) and Eastern Partnership (EaP) candidate countries, as well as from within the EU itself. Based on 109 elite interviews with decision-makers and diplomats, and stakeholders such as experts, public intellectuals, representatives of [...] Submission to the Call for Evidence for the EU Civil Society Strategy
59 organizations, one united call: Recognize CSOs from the enlargement region in the EU Civil Society Strategy! The global crisis of democratic legitimacy and the regression of the rule of law have pushed civic space into a downward spiral, with enlargement countries proving especially vulnerable. Weak institutions and geopolitical pressures leave civic actors more […]
Citizen participation in policy implementation processes: An online platform to foster transparency and engagement in the implementation of North Macedonia’s Reform Agenda
The project contributes to the development of a digital public portal to provide information on and improve communication around North Macedonia’s National Reform Agenda. The Reform Agenda is part of the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, a financial instrument that was established in 2024 to support the implementation of socio-economic and fundamental [...] Political Thought No.70
In a time of rapid political changes, the journal Political Thought remains a consistent chronicler and promoter of political discourse and democratic dialogue in North Macedonia and beyond. The jubilee 70th issue of the journal, published in May 2025, proves its long-term commitment to promoting critical thinking, academic debate, and research in the fields of [...] The Right to Participate Should Not Be a Privilege: The Need for Fair Electoral Conditions for Independent Candidates in the Local Elections 2025
The previous Local elections in 2021 saw a record number of independent candidacies and winning seats in municipal councils. With 65,908 votes and 67 mandates, independent lists became the fifth political force in the elections. However, controversial amendments to the Electoral Code, adopted after the elections were called in 2024, introduced a new barrier for [...]