Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced that there will be a debate until the end of the month in regards to the referendum and all questions related to it, among which also to the forming of the SEC.

According to Zaev, the forming of the SEC will not, nor should it be related to the referendum on the name, and the final composition will be known quite soon.

Just as a reminder, as of December 2017, the SEC has been functioning only through its professional and legal services, after the resignations of the SEC’s members. However, the success of the

referendum will greatly depend on when the SEC will be formed and how much time the new members will have to prepare for its implementation.

And while one important issue is hanging in the air, another one already has a solution for it, which will be celebrated throughout Macedonia. As Zaev has stated, tomorrow there will be a celebration on the occasion of the invitation for Macedonia to start negotiations for NATO membership. A program is organized upon a decision of the Government, and the expenses will be covered from the budget and cost as much as two theatre plays that the state is financing.

And now that we have started slowly conquering NATO, the road to EU remains, and hence the contribution of the youth towards the European integration processes.

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation – Skopje Office and CIVIL – Center for Freedom are organizing a panel discussion on the topic “Youth perspectives for Macedonia’s EU integration”, which will be held on July 24, 2018 (Tuesday) from 11.:45 am until 1:30 pm, on the northern terrace of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the City of Skopje, on the occasion of the official visit of German Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth.

With this, the organizers are giving space for representatives of youth organizations in Macedonia, as well as other participants, to share their ideas and views on the European integration processes of the country.

Today hearings were held in the Criminal Court for the cases of the Special Prosecutor’s Office “Violence in the Municipality of Center” and “Tenders”. The trial for the case “Violence in the Municipality of Center” will continue with questioning witnesses on August 30.

The issue of media reforms is also returning to the center of attention. The Media Development Center today demanded from all political parties to make effort for urgent start of the reforms in the media sector that have been promised with the Przino Agreement of 2016, and set as demands by the European Commission in the document Urgent Reform Priorities. According to them., the reforms are a precondition for freeing the media and the public in Macedonia and for a secure start of the uncompromising European integration processes.

B. Jordanovska