Assembly approves changes to Law on Administrative Officials; two consecutive '1' ratings trigger dismissal

The Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia approved amendments to the Law on Administrative Officials that introduce stricter evaluation rules, change promotion procedures and establish a legal ground for terminating the employment of officials who receive two consecutive unsatisfactory ratings.

Under the new provisions, an administrative official who is rated "1 – unsatisfactory" for two years in a row will have their employment terminated by operation of law. Lawmakers also removed the possibility of promoting staff without first publishing an internal vacancy, a change intended to ensure equal access to promotions and consistent application of merit-based rules.

Vote and main changes

The amendments were adopted in a shortened procedure and passed with 66 votes in favor, one against and no abstentions. In addition to the stricter evaluation and promotion criteria, the law tightens disciplinary and material liability rules and aims to harmonize the status of Assembly staff and regulatory body officials with other special state servants.

The application of Article 80, which concerns a monetary reward for exceptional engagement, has been postponed until January 1, 2028. The changes also pledge more economical procedure management while keeping the right to appeal.

The opposition SDSM abstained from supporting the amendments, arguing the text opens space for political pressure on employees and pointing to earlier moves that affected the independence of the Assembly service. SDSM parliamentary coordinator Oliver Spasovski said: "Everything is done in a veiled form to achieve certain goals."

VMRO-DPMNE's parliamentary coordinator Nikola Micevski defended the package as correcting shortcomings that were not addressed between 2019 and 2024. He told Spasovski that some laws are good and some are not, adding: "At least praise one thing, say it's good – one thing has been corrected."

Goran Minchev, head of the Ministry of Public Administration, said the reforms must go beyond legal changes and be supported by a qualified workforce. Addressing a conference on establishing an Academy for professional training of administrative officials, Minchev said: "A professional administration is not built only with new rules, but with people who have the knowledge, integrity and capacity to apply those rules. Therefore we see the Academy as a permanent mechanism for professional development, not a time-limited project."

The ministry says the Academy's institutional setup, organizational model and training programs are being prepared and that the institution is planned to start operating at the beginning of 2027.

Photo: Arhiva