[REVISION HISTORY]

Macedonia Skopje 2028 cultural capital law

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-31 10:49 UTC → 2026-08-02 10:54 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026 the Macedonian parliament withdrew a draft law that would have created a special foundation for the “Skopje – European Capital of Culture 2028” project. The proposal, which sought exemption from the public procurement law and involved the use of more than €20 million in public funds, was pulled from the agenda after a coordination led by Assembly President Afrim Gashi. Opposition parties, anti‑corruption groups and the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption warned that bypassing procurement safeguards posed a high risk of corruption, and demanded greater transparency. The following day, Parliament Chairman Afrim Gashi formally removed the “Shkupi 2028” law from the agenda of the 119th session. Opposition deputy Talat Xhaferi denounced the move as a breach of Assembly rules, asserting that only the bill’s proposers could alter the agenda. Gashi defended the action, arguing that an urgent session could be called and that the removal was lawful. On 31 July 2026 Prime Minister Christian Mickoski ordered the draft law’s withdrawal, saying the step was needed to eliminate doubts about transparency and that the proposal would now be debated publicly. Opposition parties and civil‑society groups reiterated concerns that the foundation would bypass procurement rules and enable unchecked spending, noting that the “Bid Book” was merely a project application, not a legal instrument. Mickoski maintained the draft aligned with EU practice but conceded that the public outcry required reconsideration, a development that has delayed preparations for cultural events slated for 2027‑2029.

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