SDSM: Mickoski seeks repeal of coordination law, risking politicisation
The opposition says the draft abolition of the coordination law paves the way to politicise services and prepare a merger of ANB and the Intelligence Agency.
The Social Democratic Union (SDSM) sharply criticized a government proposal that would abolish the Law on Coordination of the Security‑Intelligence Community, saying the move amounts to rolling back reforms designed to prevent political interference in the services.
The draft amendments, adopted by the Government and already submitted to the Assembly, would terminate the law that sets out coordination between the Agency for National Security (ANB), the Intelligence Agency (AR) and military intelligence. SDSM claims the repeal is being prepared as a first step toward an announced merger of the ANB and the Intelligence Agency.
Opposition accuses Mickoski of politicising the services
SDSM warned the changes would amount to a full partisan takeover. "If the problem is implementation, why is the law being repealed? If operational capacity is lacking, why don't they provide it? If there is distrust between institutions, who is responsible for overcoming it? The excuses don't hold. Mickoski's goal is clear – to introduce full partisan control over the services, as in the time of Gruevski and Sasho Mijalkov. As he controls the judiciary, the police and everything else in the state," the party said.
Party officials said they will not remain silent and demanded that the draft law be withdrawn from Parliament and subjected to an open public, expert and parliamentary debate.
SDSM further noted the coordination law "provides joint threat assessments, information exchange and coordinated action by the ANB, the Intelligence Agency and military intelligence. The Council is chaired by the prime minister, and the mechanism connects the services with the proposals of the Security Council. Now Mickoski is undoing that for partisan and personal purposes. It is obvious that this is preparation for the announced merger of the ANB and the Intelligence Agency."
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which submitted the amendments, justified the repeal by pointing to limited practical application of the current legal framework. The ministry did not dispute the law's concept, but said there are problems in implementation that need addressing.
SDSM called on lawmakers to halt the proposal and open a broad debate on how to preserve independent, professional intelligence cooperation while addressing any implementation shortcomings.
Photo: press material from the event
