Freedom of Association
CSO advocacy calls for tougher laws on crimes against women and girls
In November 2024, the Platform for Gender Equality — a civil society initiative bringing together 21 organisations working in the field of gender equality — called for systemic reforms and stricter penalties for gender-based violence. The appeal came in response to a verdict in a high-profile case, where 13 men from Veles were convicted on multiple charges related to sexual abuse of a minor. The Platform strongly condemned the victim-blaming rhetoric used by the defence during the proceedings, warning that such discourse reinforces dangerous stereotypes, perpetuates systemic discrimination, and discourages other victims from seeking justice. It stressed that the case highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reform, including tougher sentences for crimes against women and girls. The Platform also reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating misogynistic narratives from legal processes and urged the public to remain vigilant in monitoring relevant state institutions and demanding justice.
Civil society mobilises for local engagement and anti-corruption initiatives
On 28th November 2024, Macedonia’s Civil Society Resource Centre held an event at the Council Hall of the Municipality of Novaci. At the event, local organisations and activists from the area were informed about the latest civil society developments at the local and national levels, as well as funding opportunities, capacity building for organisations, the services offered by the Centre, and other topics of interest. Participants discussed how organisations in Novaci must enhance their capacity for more significant impact on the local level.
The Platform of Civil Society Organisations for the Fight against Corruption demanded that an initiative to amend and supplement the Public Procurement Law, submitted to the Assembly through an expedited procedure on 5th December 2024, be removed. The Platform argued that passing legal amendments through an expedited procedure without a consultative process, especially for solutions that may negatively impact the fight against corruption, is unacceptable and contravenes European commitments to democratic, inclusive, and expert-driven public policy.
CSO and activist awarded for boosting transparency
The Centre for Civil Communications and activist Lila Milikj received this year’s Meto Jovanovski Award for their long-standing work in promoting and protecting human rights. At the ceremony in Parliament, Centre President German Filkov said the award encourages their efforts to boost transparency and citizen participation in policymaking. The annual award, presented on Human Rights Day, honours Meto Jovanovski, a writer and the first president of the country’s Helsinki Committee.
Legal environment for civil society rated positively but issues remain
The European Commission’s 2024 report notes that the legal environment for freedom of association in North Macedonia remains generally conducive, with civil society continuing to participate in policymaking processes. However, this participation is often ad hoc and lacks structured mechanisms for meaningful engagement. The Commission’s report does not fully capture the stagnation or the gap between legal guarantees and actual enabling conditions. The Balkan Civil Society Development Network’s background analysis stressed the urgent need for clear, measurable benchmarks to ensure real progress and to address persistent barriers to the effective exercise of the right to freedom of association.
At the 2024 Annual Conference of Civil Society Organisations, co-organised by the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation and the Government's Unit for Cooperation with Civil Society, participants noted the importance of structured, long-term cooperation between institutions and CSOs. Discussions highlighted the need to revive and effectively implement the 2022–2024 Strategy for Cooperation, with civil society calling for more transparent and inclusive policymaking. The Prime Minister and relevant ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening this partnership, while CSO representatives stressed that positive societal change is only possible through genuine collaboration. Despite these statements, follow-up actions and operational mechanisms remain limited, underscoring the gap between political will and practical implementation.
Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
At a protest on 22nd November 2024 in front of the City of Skopje offices, residents of Shuto Orizari (North Macedonia's only Roma-majority and Roma-governed municipality), joined by high school students and the Student Assembly of the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius held a protest under the slogan “Public transport, not public chaos”. Demonstrators sent a strong appeal for the establishment of new and efficient transportation solutions, and for the long-awaited infrastructure projects to finally begin, as promised by Mayor Danela Arsovska and her team during the election campaign, as well as by previous mayors. The Mayor of Shuto Orizari, Kurto Dudush, emphasised that the municipality has been left without public transport, even after repeated appeals for the procurement of new buses and the introduction of new bus lines. Dudush stated that the residents of Shuto Orizari have been without access to public transport for 730 days. According to him, it is racist, discriminatory, inhumane, and irresponsible for 40,000 citizens to be without public transport for two years.
The civic initiative Green Humane City organised a protest on 10th December 2024 calling on the government and municipalities to take urgent and medium-term measures to tackle air pollution. Skopje and other inland cities had been engulfed in thick smoke and smog, with citizens breathing polluted air both at home and on the streets. Activists called on citizens to protest, as this is a serious public health concern in the country.
On 11th December 2024, the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia postponed its ruling on objections to the contested 2018 language law, which expanded the official use of the Albanian language across the entire territory of North Macedonia. The previous law had defined Albanian as an official language but granted it that status only in areas where Albanians constitute over 20 per cent of the local population. The Court stated that it needed to consult international experts before making any decision. As the Court convened, leaders of the main ethnic Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration, together with allied parties and their supporters, staged a protest in front of the Court.
On 20th December 2024, employees of Skopje’s road management company, Public Enterprise Streets and Roads, held a protest outside Skopje’s administration building and the office of Mayor Danela Arsovska. The demonstration, organised by the Independent Public Enterprise Trade Union, which is part of the Confederation of Trade Union Organisations of Macedonia, called for the payment of employees’ November salaries, which had not yet been received, as well as their annual K-15 bonus. The workers also complained that the enterprise’s account had been blocked, that they lacked the materials and equipment necessary for their work, and that they were being forced to use unregistered vehicles, in breach of the law. The protest formed part of a protracted dispute between the Skopje city administration and several public enterprises under its management, amid the city’s mounting debt. In a statement to the media, Streets and Roads dismissed the protest as politically motivated, claiming that the employees had already been paid. According to TV 21, the salaries were indeed paid out later that afternoon.
On 28th December 2024, residents of Skopje took to the streets for a second time in a protest march against air pollution, organised by the initiative Green Humane City. The protest began in front of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and moved to various government buildings. Organisers stated that two weeks had passed since they submitted their demands after the first protest, and they had not yet received a response from the authorities.
Through protests and open letters, young people from the Western Balkans region united in solidarity with Serbian students. Students in North Macedonia also joined the regional wave of support, expressing solidarity with their Serbian peers who have been protesting across Serbia since the collapse of a concrete canopy on 1st November 2024 in Novi Sad, which killed fifteen people and injured two. As a sign of support for the student protests in Serbia, members of the Association for Educational Development Equalis held a symbolic protest in front of the Serbian Embassy in Skopje on 30th December 2024.
Freedom of Expression
Civil society advocates for improved digital rights
On 23rd December 2024, BIRN Macedonia presented its findings on digital rights violations, based on a two-year monitoring period. At a consultative meeting, senior journalist Goce Trpkovski shared BIRN's recommendations and highlighted 501 violations from 2022 to the end of 2024, including hate speech, cryptocurrency scams, and the misuse of AI to create fake explicit content of girls. Trpkovski outlined urgent, medium-term, and long-term recommendations to improve the digital rights situation. Feedback was provided by experts from various organisations, including the Research Institute RESIS, Internet Governance Forum, Media Development Centre, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Metamorphosis Foundation, the Personal Data Protection Agency, and the police cybercrime sector.
Journalist’s car set on fire
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia condemned an incident in which the car of journalist Suzana Vrencovska from SAKAMDAKAZAM.MK, based in Ohrid, was set on fire. The vehicle was torched on 5th January 2025 in the yard of her family home, inside the garage where it was parked. This is not an isolated incident. In October 2024, the vehicle of fellow journalist Blagoj Sersemov, editor of the local television and online media outlet M-net from Shtip, was also set on fire. Although the motives for these attacks have yet to be determined, they create a sense of insecurity among journalists and undermine their work in serving the public interest.