Speaker of the Parliament of North Macedonia, Afrim Gashi, together with Sanja Lukarevska, chair of the Committee on Finance and Budget, and Pece Milevski, deputy chair of the Committee on Local Self-Government, held a meeting with a delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The delegation consisted of co-rapporteurs for local democracy, Anders Knape of Sweden and Matthias Gissin of Switzerland, Parliament said.
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The discussions focused on the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, as well as respect for human rights and the rule of law at the local level.
During the meeting, Gashi highlighted the importance of decentralization as a pillar of democracy. According to him, this process enables decisions that have a direct impact on citizens to be made at the local level whenever possible and appropriate, based on their needs and the specific characteristics of local communities.
The Speaker of Parliament also emphasized that decentralization is one of the key elements of the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement. The agreement provided for strengthening local self-government and increasing the involvement of citizens and communities in local decision-making processes, the statement said.
The discussion also covered the independence of local authorities and the progress of decentralization, particularly in terms of fiscal decentralization and financial autonomy. The powers of mayors and municipal councils were also addressed.
The representatives also discussed the difficulties municipalities face regarding financial sustainability, environmental protection, demographic changes, and administrative and institutional capacities. The meeting also examined opportunities for the further development of local self-government.
