Assembly to table 12 laws tied to new senior service law despite lack of Badinter majority

The Assembly plans to put a package of a dozen laws requiring a Badinter (three‑fifths) majority on the agenda in about ten days, even though no cross‑party agreement has been reached to guarantee the necessary support. The measures are needed to harmonize various rules with the new Law on Senior Executive Service, which comes into force on October 1 and is intended to establish a merit‑based system for appointing senior public‑sector managers.

Speaker Afrim Gashi says he is seeking a solution

"It is true that we have a problem with the Badinter majority, but solutions must be sought for everything. I am talking to all parties and I hope that in a short time we will find a solution; if necessary, law by law — what matters is for the Assembly to function in this area," said Afrim Gashi, Speaker of the Assembly.

So far there is no initiative from parliamentary groups or from the ministry to resume work on the Electoral Code, Gashi added. He said he is available to assist if needed, because "it is important that the law is passed, and not who will take the credit."

Work is also expected to resume on the investigative committees. Levica has announced that it will convene the Permanent Investigative Commission at the start of October to review the tragedies of recent years; after that commission finishes, the other investigative commission is expected to begin its work.

The minimum wage bill proposed by SDSM is scheduled for a parliamentary session in October. The Vredi parliamentary group has not yet taken a position on that proposal; Gashi expressed his personal view that "wages should be increased, but the decision is still with the Ministry of Finance."

Gashi was also questioned over a personal statement he made regarding the Hague court verdict on four former KLA leaders, a remark that drew criticism from the opposition, from parts of the Macedonian public, and from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. At a press meeting he said he has the right to a personal stance both as a citizen and as a politician, regardless of the office he currently holds.

Parliamentary leaders now face the task of either negotiating support for the 12 laws tied to the October 1 deadline or seeking alternative legal or procedural ways to ensure the new senior‑service rules can take effect on schedule.

Photo: press material from the event