Mickoski: The draft law for "Skopje 2028" has been withdrawn and will go to public debate
Mickoski: The proposal that provided an exemption from the Law on Public Procurement has been withdrawn and will go through public debate due to reactions over potential misuse.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski today announced that the draft law for implementing the project "Skopje – European Capital of Culture 2028" has been withdrawn from the Assembly and will be put to public debate, after it sparked reactions due to the proposed exemption from the Law on Public Procurement.
During a visit to the hospital in Bitola, Mickoski said that the proposal — according to which the project’s costs would not be covered by the Law on Public Procurement — was the subject of an intense attempt to manipulate the public, so the process was halted.
"One of the priorities for implementing the project is also the law that is being drafted in accordance with all the recommendations from the European Union. This is no different from what happened in Helsinki. For proper informing of the public, I want to point out that this concerns a so-called book that was obtained some 5–6 years ago, in which priorities from earlier are defined, inherited by this government and by this mayor. Unfortunately, someone is trying deliberately to manipulate the public and deliberately to misinform citizens. But what I, as a person, will not allow first of all is for there to remain even an iota of doubt in any process. Therefore, at my insistence, the law was withdrawn from the Parliament, it will be put to public debate, it will be debated. We will be slightly delayed, but we will try to maintain that pace until the end of the year and enter a process in which everything will be delivered on time, and Skopje will be the European Capital of Culture 2028," Mickoski said.
What the proposal provides and who will manage the funds
On 28 July a draft law was submitted to the Assembly proposing the establishment of the Foundation "European Capital of Culture – Skopje 2028" and foreseeing that the Law on Public Procurement would not apply to the project’s expenses. The project foresees 21 million euros, of which 95 percent are funds from the state budget and the budget of the City of Skopje, and 500,000 euros are from European funds.
According to the proposal, procedures for the expenses should be carried out by the Foundation. The City formally established the Foundation "Skopje European Capital of Culture" on 28 January, and in June Marjan Cvetkovski was appointed director; he previously led Macedonian Radio Television for 15 years.
Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski, responding to a council question about the appointment, defended the nomination. "I have known Marjan Cvetkovski for many years. I consider him a person with serious experience and I am convinced that he will deliver excellent results," Gjorgjievski said.
Civil organizations and state bodies immediately reacted to the proposed law: the Platform for the Fight Against Corruption and the Anti-Corruption Commission called for the withdrawal of the proposal, arguing that it opens the door to theft of state funds. Former minister Kostadinovska-Stojchevska also criticized the measure and warned that the authorities risk repeating past abuses.
In February the City announced the first call for financing cultural and artistic projects for "Skopje European Capital of Culture 2028" with a total budget of 300,000 euros and individual grants up to 50,000 euros, but the results of the call have not yet been published. Skopje was awarded the title in September 2023 and will share it with České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Bourges (France).
Photo: SDK.MK)
