Digitalization of public administration in the context of European integration—Benefits and challenges

byФондација Метаморфозис

At the invitation of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Mila Josifovska Danilovska, Program Manager at the Metamorphosis Foundation, was a speaker at the roundtable on the topic: “Digitalization of Public Administration in the Context of European Integration—Advantages and Challenges” which was held on March 6, 2025 in Skopje.

Together with Stanislav Vasilkovski from the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Valentin Fetadzhokoski from the Personal Data Protection Agency, Josifovska Danilovska gave an overview of the state of digitalization of public administration in the Republic of North Macedonia, from the perspective of the civil sector and state institutions.

 

Key challenges in digital transformation

In her presentation, Josifovska Danilovska emphasized that digitalization should not be seen only as part of the European integration process, but as a fundamental reform that will bring improvement in public services and increase the quality of life of citizens. She noted that the new EU Growth Plan sets specific obligations and deadlines in the area of ​​digitalization that the state must meet in order to ensure continued progress.

Josifovska Danilovska pointed out that cybersecurity is one of the biggest challenges, which, among other things, requires harmonization of legislation with the NIS2 Directive, and the establishment and operationalization of national and government CERTs in accordance with EU standards, in order to enable a high level of cybersecurity for comprehensive protection and further development of society.

In addition, she emphasized the need for alignment with the EU Digital Identity Regulation and eIDAS2, as well as the implementation of a single document management system in all state institutions. Josifovska Danilovska added that without interoperability, digital literacy and functional e-services , digital transformation will not yield real results. She placed particular emphasis on the importance of the need for a Digital Identity Wallet aligned with EU standards and the needs of citizens, with the aim of secure, fast and unified access to public and private e-services, facilitating cross-border recognition of digital documents and increasing trust, security and efficiency in citizens’ digital transactions.

Source: Helsinki Committee for Human Rights

Digital literacy and open data—key factors for successful digitalization

Josifovska Danilovska emphasized that digital literacy is one of the prerequisites for a successful digital transformation. Without digitally literate citizens and public administration, digitalization will not yield effective results. She emphasized that a strategic approach to digital literacy is needed, through formal and informal education, tailored educational activities and mass awareness-raising campaigns, in order for citizens to understand and benefit from the benefits of digitalization.

Related to the introduction of AI-based solutions in the delivery of public services, Metamorphosis conducted research on the impact of AI on human rights, analyzing European and international regulations and ethical standards. Josifovska Danilovska emphasized that, before applying AI in the public sector, it is necessary to establish clear strategies and policies that will ensure that the technology does not have a negative impact on human rights, especially in automated decision-making. She also spoke about the importance of harmonizing with the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, adopting ethical standards for the creation and use of AI, as well as signing and ratifying the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.

Additionally, she highlighted the importance of open data for a successful digital transformation. Open data is not only important for transparency, but also because artificial intelligence-based systems only improve if they have access to relevant information and data. In this regard, she emphasized the need to adopt and implement a Law on Open Data and Reuse of Data in the Public Sector, in line with the EU Open Data Directive (2019/1024/ EU).

“All these processes directly affect citizens. Therefore, we believe that institutions should be open to cooperation with the civil sector, which offers expertise to support reforms and access to different categories of citizens—from the phase of designing policies and solutions, to their implementation and evaluation. Only in this way can we build a digitally strengthened ecosystem that will truly serve citizens,” concluded Josifovska Danilovska.

 

This post was originally published on this site

Продолжи со читање

  • Promotion of Minorities’ Participation in Multilevel Governance

    The PACT project officially started in Brussels with a 2-day international conference and workshop
    On 10 and 11 March 2026, Brussels hosted an International Conference and Workshop entitled “Promotion of Minorities’ Participation in Multilevel Governance”.
    It brought together experts coming from different realities, with a common goal: sharing good practices on how to promote inclusive participation of under-represented minorities, people with migratory background, refugees, Roma and other marginalised communities in local decision-making processes.
    The Conference
    The event opened on the morning of Tuesday 10 March with 2 panels.
    The first one – entitled “Minority Participation in Multilevel Governance: EU perspectives” – was moderated by Mohammed Mustafa (ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy) who introduced the main EU policy developments in the areas of anti-poverty and anti-discrimination, and migration, setting the tune of the conversation with the speakers:
    Julie Pascoet (European Network Against Racism – ENAR) focused on the European Anti-Discrimination Strategy,  highlighting how much this tool is necessary (but also how far it is to address the needs of the moment), and how civil society networks  play a crucial role to bridge the gap between EU policy intentions and the lived experiences of marginalised communities.
    Fernando Vasco Chironda (European Anti Poverty Network – EAPN) tackled the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, underlying that – by excluding migrant people from vulnerability frameworks – the strategy risks deepening marginalisation of those most affected, and that local authorities are those with the responsibility to ensure inclusive participation spaces and adequate resources for people.
    Mojib Atal (Migration Policy Group – MPG) focused on the Migrant Integration Policy Index, reporting a concerning stagnation in political participation across the EU, and highlighting how multilingual education could serve as a democratic tool by recognising linguistic diversity rather than privileging a single dominant language.
     

    The second panel – “From Welcoming to Active Participation: Challenges, Practices and Power” – was moderated by Maddalena Alberti (ADL Zavidovici) and had the goal to hear from experts who exchanged ideas, perspectives and best practices for the inclusion of underrepresented minorities at a local level.
    Anna Coulibaly (International Catholic Migration Commission – ICMC Europe) introduced the Community Sponsorship, a community‑led integration model where volunteers, supported by civil society and approved by governments, commit to hosting and supporting refugees for at least a year.
    Loubna Reguig (European Forum for Youth with Lived Migration Experience – VOICIFY) urged how self‑led organisations are essential to defend the political participation rights of young people with migrant backgrounds, since they create spaces where youth feel included, exchange knowledge and pool resources.
    Queenie Kessie (IOM Diaspora Advisory Board – DAB) showed how diaspora advisory structures can move beyond consultation and concretely ensure fair policies are good for migrant people and societies.
    Ismail Alkhateeb (PLACE Network) brought the organisation’s extensive experience to show that the inclusion of migrant people in local participatory processes can happen only when institutions and local communities jointly define problems, design solutions and test them at micro‑level.

    Conclusion
    Hosted by Amazone asbl (Brussels) and co-organised by ALDA (France), ADL Zavidovici (Italy), KMOP (Greece), Center for Intercultural Dialogue (North Macedonia), PLACE Network (France), Fons Català (Spain) and Konkáv Alapítvány (Hungary), the event saw the participation of public authorities, policy makers, organisations, media, underrepresented minorities united by the wish to learn on how working together is possible for a fair and equal European policy system.
    The initiative was part of the European-funded project PACT (Participatory Action for Transforming Communities) whose aim is empowering under-represented minorities in local communities in Europe.

  • Metamorphosis publishes research on the effects of disinformation and foreign influence on democratic processes

    The Metamorphosis Foundation has published the research “The Effect of Disinformation and Foreign Influences on Democratic Processes in North Macedonia in 2025,” which analyzes how disinformation and propaganda narratives affect public debate, trust in institutions, and citizen participation in democratic processes. The research combines an analysis of disinformation narratives and a survey of a nationally representative […]

  • On current economic topics, Blagica Petreski in Win-Win

    https://www.facebook.com/TVTelma/videos/2347874929012206
    The post On current economic topics, Blagica Petreski in Win-Win first appeared on Finance Think.
    The post On current economic topics, Blagica Petreski in Win-Win appeared first on Finance Think.

  • AJM Calls for Measured and Professional Communication with Journalists

    The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) is monitoring the public reaction following the communication between the Minister of Interior Panče Toškovski and journalist Frosina Fakova Serafinović from the media outlet Sloboden Pechat, during yesterday’s press conference, which was also …

  • Public call for participation in the co-creation of the National Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership 2026-2028

    Based on Article 3, paragraph (2), subparagraphs (5) and (6) of the Decision on the Establishment of the Council for Coordination and Monitoring of the 2024-2026 Open Government Partnership Process, No. 16-1662/1 of 02.05.2024, and the Decision on the Amendment of the Decision on the Establishment of the Council for Coordination and Monitoring of the […]
    The post Public call for participation in the co-creation of the National Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership 2026-2028 first appeared on Metamorphosis.

  • AJM and UNDP: Awards for Best Stories on Air Pollution

    The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with financial support from Sweden, today presented the awards for the best journalistic stories of 2025 on the theme: “Tackling Air Pollution – …