The Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia hosted a roundtable of Secretaries General of the Balkan Constitutional Courts

Within the framework of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum, chaired by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia, a roundtable meeting of the Secretaries General of the constitutional courts was held in Ohrid from 24 to 26 June 2026. The event was organized by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia, with the support of the European Union Delegation, as part of the project "Strengthening the Capacities of the Constitutional Court for Constitutional and Legality Review and the Protection of Human Rights".

The Forum was dedicated to the organization and functioning of constitutional courts, the systematization of job positions, as well as the performance evaluation and professional development of the administrative service.

The event was opened by the President of the Constitutional Court, Dr. Darko Kostadinovski, the Secretary General, LL.M. Violeta Gjorgjievska, and the EU Project Team Leader, Mr. Carsten Mahnke.

The Forum brought together Secretaries General and representatives of the constitutional courts of Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Turkiye, Croatia and the Republic of North Macedonia, who presented the experiences of their respective institutions and exchanged good practices regarding the organization of the work of constitutional courts.

As part of the presentations, the participants were introduced to the new Rulebook on the Internal Organization of the Constitutional Court, adopted in October 2025, which established an organizational structure comprising 13 organizational units providing legal and administrative support to the Court. Particular emphasis was placed on the clear distinction between judicial and administrative functions, the role of the Secretary General in coordinating the administrative service, and the digital management of cases.

The participants were also familiarized with the job classification system of the Court's Professional Service, which provides for 71 positions, of which 54 are currently filled, as well as with the case allocation model and the organization of the work of legal advisers. It was further presented that during 2025 the Constitutional Court handled 520 cases, of which 229 were completed, while the remaining cases continued to be processed during the following year.

The Forum also featured the presentation of the new performance evaluation system for employees of the Professional Service, which is based on continuous performance monitoring, monthly reports, and assessment against three criteria: timely completion of work assignments, professional competence and work engagement, and professional conduct. The discussion also explored possibilities for further improving the system through the introduction of measurable performance indicators, enhanced transparency, and individual professional development plans for employees.

Throughout the three-day Forum, participants also discussed the challenges faced by constitutional courts in the region, with particular emphasis on strengthening institutional capacities, modernizing administrative operations, and promoting the exchange of experience among constitutional courts.

The Forum concluded that meetings of this kind contribute to a more efficient organization of work, the enhancement of professional standards, and the further strengthening of regional cooperation among constitutional courts.

The Forum was attended by Secretaries General and representatives of constitutional courts from the region. The delegation of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia included Secretary General LL.M. Violeta Gjorgjievska, Court Adviser and Head of the President's Office Ljubica Gadzovska, Court Adviser Majlinda Ismaili, and Independent Adviser Larisa Milevska.

The Constitutional Court of Albania was represented by Secretary General Eugen Papandile and the Head of the Department for Economic Affairs, Human Resources and Support Services, Erion Tafaj. The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria was represented by Secretary General Nadezhda Milkovska and Vesela Argirova, Director of the General Administration Directorate and Head of Human Resources. The Constitutional Court of Kosovo was represented by Secretary General Veton Dula and Human Resources Manager Ardrita Fejzulahu. The Constitutional Court of Turkiye was represented by Deputy Secretary General Tugçe Takçi, International Relations Officer Gökçen Sena Kumcu, and Aras Mustafa, Head of the President's Protocol Office. The Secretary General of the Constitutional Court of Croatia, Sanja Trgovac, participated in the Forum as an observer.

The Forum was also attended by Martin Sopronov, Senior Legal Expert, Ognen Janeski, Moderator of the event, and Victor Gratakos, Project Manager, all three serving as experts engaged under the EU-funded project.