Speaking at a panel organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, VLEN co-chair and Tetovo Mayor Bilall Kasami said the decentralization process has yet to fully achieve its intended objective.
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Kasami described the anniversary as an opportunity to honestly assess the results achieved, the setbacks identified and the steps that need to be taken next. He spoke of local development and decentralization as two pillars of democracy and social cohesion.
According to him, progress has been made over the past 25 years, as municipalities have been entrusted with more responsibilities, while citizens have been given greater scope to influence matters that directly affect their lives. However, he stressed that decentralization remains far from fully achieving its original objective.
Kasami cited the gap between the powers transferred to municipalities and the financial resources available to them as one of the main challenges.
He explained that, in many cases, responsibilities have been transferred to local authorities without the necessary funding. Municipalities, he said, are expected to take care of schools, infrastructure and public services, even though funding often does not match the responsibilities assigned to them.
Kasami said financial decentralization has not progressed at the same pace as administrative decentralization. According to him, heavy reliance on transfers from the central government limits municipal autonomy and creates inequalities among municipalities.
Addressing balanced regional development, he said disparities between regions remain pronounced, while investments are not always allocated according to specific needs and clearly defined criteria.
For the next stage of decentralization, the Tetovo mayor called for municipalities to have more own-source revenue, genuine powers and stronger professional capacities, as well as a fairer distribution of funds.
He also highlighted the need to strengthen democracy at the local level, increase transparency and ensure greater citizen participation in decision-making processes.
According to Kasami, citizens’ first contact with the state takes place at the municipal service counter, at the school their child attends and on the road outside their home. Bringing decision-making closer to citizens, he stressed, increases opportunities for participation, accountability and oversight.
Referring to Tetovo as a multiethnic municipality, Kasami said coexistence should not rely solely on legal provisions. According to him, it must be consolidated through equal access to education, culture, infrastructure, services and decision-making.
He warned that inequalities in development could deepen economic disparities and have social and political consequences.
Kasami stressed that balanced regional development is not merely an economic policy, but is also linked to equality, stability and trust among citizens.
In conclusion, he called for the creation of a new partnership between local and central government, built on clearly defined powers, fair funding, consultation and measurable accountability.
Kasami concluded that municipalities are ready to take on additional responsibilities, but these must be accompanied by financial resources, capacity and genuine autonomy. Only under these conditions, he said, will the Ohrid Framework Agreement remain alive not simply as a historical document, but also as a tangible principle of everyday democracy.
