Tragedy has struck North Macedonia. A fire at a nightclub in Kocani claimed the lives of 59 young people, and over 180 more are
fighting for their lives in hospitals. Aside from grief, there is immense anger at the systematic failure that allowed such an event to happen.
In her statement, Jelena Mishikj, President of the Liberal Democratic Youth (LiDeM), stresses that this is not just a tragic accident—it’s the result of a culture where corruption and negligence go unchecked. She calls for justice, and for a broader reform of the culture that allowed this disaster to happen in the first place.
LiDeM is calling for real, lasting change: reforms to ensure public venues are safe, stricter accountability for those in power, and a national anti-corruption push to root out the failures at the local level. This tragedy must be the turning point. The victims of Kocani deserve more than sympathy, they deserve a future where such a disaster is never allowed to happen again.
Click the link below for the full LiDeM statement and call for change in North Macedonia.
Member Statement From LiDem on North Macedonia