North Macedonia
In North Macedonia, WFD builds trusted partnerships with democratic institutions and decision-makers to:
• Support innovative anti-corruption tools to enhance integrity in public procurement.
• Strengthen the capacities of oversight institutions, particularly the Parliament and the State Audit Office, ensuring better public spending and more effective scrutiny of government actions.
• Promote political party transparency and foster dialogue among young politicians to improve governance.
• Equip young people with civic education and tools to engage in fact-based policy discussions, as well as to actively participate in policymaking processes.
Political context
North Macedonia is a parliamentary republic with a population of approximately 1.8 million. Following the 2018 Prespa Agreement with Greece that marked a historic step in resolving a three-decades-long name dispute, and the 2019 Constitutional change of the name to North Macedonia, the country became 30th NATO member in 2020. In addition, having an EU candidacy status since 2005, the country opened the accession negotiations with the European Union at the 2022 First Intergovernmental Conference. Meanwhile, the Ohrid Framework Agreement, the peace deal signed in 2001 by the government of the Republic North Macedonia and representatives of the Albanian minority, remains a cornerstone of the country’s multiethnic governance.
Key areas of work
Current programmes
Democracy Works
The programme aims to strengthen public trust in institutions through improved governance and citizen engagement by working with political parties, state institutions, young people, and civil society.
The programme has two key strands:
- Youth Engagement in Democratic Processes – Equipping young people with the tools and evidence needed to participate effectively in decision-making, increasing their role within political parties, and encouraging youth representation in local and national positions.
- Institutional Transparency and Accountability – Supporting political parties and public institutions, particularly Parliament and the State Audit Office, to adopt more transparent, coordinated, and accountable practices.
Completed programmes
Western Balkans Democracy Initiative
Supporting the State Audit Office with Financial Oversight
Supporting Parliamentary Reform
Citizens in Parliament
Strengthening Financial Accountability and Transparency
Parliamentary support programme
Selected key results
WFD supported the establishment of the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, as an analytical centre for promotion of the parliamentary financial oversight, through drafting expert financial and budget analyses for the needs of MPs and working bodies.
The WFD-supported Parliamentary Volunteers Programme is successfully providing 20 young people with valuable theoretical and practical experience in parliamentary work.
WFD remains a strategic partner in the establishment of the Young MPs Club for the third parliamentary cohort and has been supporting the development of strategic and procedural documents of the new Young MPs Club in the Parliament.
Following WFD efforts, the Assembly reviewed SAO’s audit report on brain-drain and student standard in working bodies and plenary – unprecedented actions in recent parliamentary history. Inspired by SAO’s report, young MPs initiated a Law on Student Standard
As a result of WFD support to SAO in developing its Communication Strategies 2019-2023 and 2024-2026, SAO has started to proactively and independently communicate with key partners, especially the Public Prosecutor's Office (PPO), the Parliament, and various non-governmental organisations. The collaboration between the SAO and PPO has led to 12 legal processes, with several ongoing and some resulting in charges.
WFD provided institutional setup recommendations through a Functional Analysis to the Ministry for Social Policy, Demography, and Youth. The Ministry adopted the recommendations, and furthermore, it secured funds for evidence-based policymaking by the establishment of a Research Centre.
Through WFD’s Academy for Good Governance and the Academy for Political Debate, we work with individuals who later take on key roles in political parties and public institutions. By equipping them with skills and knowledge for good governance and political debate, we are contributing to stronger, more transparent political parties.
Political parties demonstrated significant progress across key indicators as a result of the WFD mentorship programme. Three political parties achieved notable advancements in financial transparency and intra-party democracy, reflected in the greater inclusiveness of women and young people in the decision-making structures.
WFD actively supported the monitoring of parliamentary elections in 2020 by persons with disabilities and the adoption of the Declaration for Active Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities by Parliament in 2019.
Related content
Contact us
str. Pirinska no. 45 - II / 8, Skopje
North Macedonia