How the EU-induced Institutional Changes Facilitated Patronage over and Capture of Judiciary in North Macedonia

Abstract

Extensive reforms were undertaken to tackle the inefficiencies in judiciary in the Southeast European country of North Macedonia. The EU asked North Macedonia, as a candidate country for EU membership, to undertake intensive judiciary reforms. However, these reforms were not sufficient to eradicate and prevent patronage practices regarding the judiciary by the ruling political parties. Instead, contestation accompanied judiciary reforms. This article examines how the politics of patronage...