December 24 – a day when democracy was suspended

On this day, exactly three years ago, on Black Monday, democracy was suspended in Macedonia. Special police forces and parliament security forcibly threw opposition MPs and journalists on the street, during a heated parliamentary debate on the budget. With this unprecedented event, the country reached another climax of a political crisis that has lasted since 2008. Tensions spilled over to the streets, followed by hundreds of protests by discontented citizens, confronted with counter-protests organized by the ruling parties.

Скопје, 24.12.2012

Three years ago, less than half an hour after the violence in the Macedonian Parliament, CIVIL - Center for Freedom released a statement entitled "Chaos and violence in Macedonia", which strongly condemned the violence against citizens, their representatives and journalists. CIVIL then called for reason and restoring legality and respect for human rights and freedoms in parliament, on the streets of the capital and throughout the country. CIVIL demanded immediate apology to the Macedonian people from the government officials and the parliamentary majority, from the managing structures of the security and police, as well as from the thugs within the ranks of these structures, along with responsibility for their actions.

Three years later there is still no outcome, nor responsibility for this violence, while the current government continues to "pump" budgets, ruthlessly indebting the next generations.

Macedonia is still in a political crisis, whereby the citizens live in uncertainty. The political process initiated with the agreement to overcome the political crisis of June 2 and July 15 is constantly being blocked.

The constant violation of human rights and freedoms and the systemic violence, the continuous and dirty political propaganda in the electoral context and the misuse of public resources have continued.

In such circumstances, it is uncertain just how much the institutions will manage to provide conditions for free elections scheduled for April 2016.