Kostadinovski: I See Criticism of the Constitutional Court as Recognition of Our Work

Darko Kostadinovski, President of the Constitutional Court, said today that he considers the attacks coming from the political sphere and certain public institutions to be flattering for the institution he leads.

The comments were made during an open conference, after a reporter asked him about the perception that his term in office is being politicized. This follows strong criticism and protests over various court decisions. The most recent case involves the Democratic Union for Integration, which reacted sharply after the court struck down the 2007 act of the Municipality of Tetovo renaming several streets and the central square. The party Levica has also made accusations regarding the Court’s actions in connection with its initiative against certain provisions of the Electoral Code concerning political advertising.

Kostadinovski also referred extensively to the many reactions that followed the abolition of the so-called “balancer,” a mechanism for recruitment in the public sector on ethnic grounds, adding that issues such as the Law on the Use of Languages and amendments to the Criminal Code are also under review.

He explained that the tendency to politically colour the activities of the Constitutional Court began immediately after his first public appearance since taking office. On that occasion, he had announced an end to the practice of keeping cases in drawers and classifying them as sensitive or less sensitive. According to him, this culture of delaying cases has led to the current situation in which the system enjoys only two percent public trust.

“This politicization has become constant, whether regarding language issues, the ‘balancer,’ the Criminal Code, the Electoral Code, or street names. As I have said before, I read the attacks coming from politics and certain state bodies as a compliment to our work. As long as they show nervousness, it indicates that we are performing our duty properly, because our essential role is to set limits on those in power and keep them within constitutional and legal boundaries. Our goal is to prevent the overstepping of powers and unjust interference in other institutions. We simply safeguard the constitutional order, as mandated by the Constitution. This is our primary mission,” Kostadinovski concluded.