Five days after the tragedy in Kocani, North Macedonia mourns and bids farewell to 59 young lives lost too soon. As the initial grief subsides, citizens demand justice, systemic reforms, and the eradication of corruption that has long plagued society.
“Kocani is our conscience calling for action. Kocani is our pain demanding a response. Kocani is a catharsis for the rotten system and endemic corruption deeply rooted in institutions that destroy human lives,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment Izet Mexhiti. The government has pledged accountability, regardless of political or ethnic affiliation, while prosecutors call for national unity.
“Our shared goal is to punish those responsible and ensure such a tragedy never happens again,” said State Public Prosecutor Ljupcho Kocevski.
Kocani, Besa Trans, the modular hospital in Tetovo, Laskarci – too many tragedies with too many victims for a small country like North Macedonia. “So much pain and families draped in black, yet so little justice for the victims,” Mexhiti reminded.
As a government representative, he said lessons from Kocani have been learned. “The message is clear: the state will not sit idly by and allow justice to get lost in institutional labyrinths built to protect the untouchables,” Mexhiti wrote on social media.
According to him, the fight for a better Macedonia will only make sense when those wronged by the system feel that justice is not imprisoned by the mafia controlling the state and that their calls for justice will be met with answers and action.
“The state will act! There will be accountability! There will be justice: for Kocani, for Besa Trans, for the Tetovo hospital, for Laskarci, for all tragedies caused by corruption and impunity that have cost human lives,” Mexhiti declared.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski echoed similar sentiments in an interview with Sitel Television, promising to reopen previous cases, including those of the modular hospital and Laskarci, vowing a thorough investigation.
“I will closely follow all these cases. I know what stage they are in, and I expect the prosecution to expand the investigation clearly. We need to identify not just the bus driver or the company’s manager but also the inspection center that deemed the vehicle roadworthy and those responsible for such practices,” Mickoski said.
Questions also linger over the modular hospital: why responsibility shifted between ministries during procurement, who designed the project, and whether crucial elements were missing. “There will be answers. There will be resolution. We won’t stop now. Either they prevail, or we do. Life offers two paths: either them or us. We cannot coexist. Either Macedonia and its citizens survive, or the mafia. There’s no room for both anymore,” Mickoski asserted.
This tragedy has the dimensions of a national catastrophe, said Kocevski in an interview with Belgrade-based “Politika.” According to him, lawlessness was tolerated for too long, and now the entire nation demands justice.
He added that all evidence regarding “Pulse” points to a criminal offense – serious crimes against public safety, carrying a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
“The evidence we gather daily points to systemic erosion, a culture of disregarding laws and rules, and deep-rooted systemic corruption. The prosecution, unfortunately, is not a preventive body but a repressive one. Could such a tragedy have been prevented? Perhaps. But now, our duty is to face the consequences, punish those responsible, and prevent such disasters in the future,” Kocevski said.
He noted that what these tragic events share is that, aside from the direct cause, there is often an additional factor: the disregard for laws and systemic corruption, significantly worsening the consequences.
“What makes this case particularly painful is the devastating loss. Kocani is a small town in the east of the country. In one night, we lost almost an entire generation of young people from that community. Sociologically speaking, this is a collective tragedy that our people are struggling to endure,” said the public prosecutor.
As of now, 28 people are suspected of involvement in the tragedy; three are hospitalized, 18 are in custody during the preliminary investigation, and seven police officers are under investigation and also in custody. Evidence is being collected through testimonies, material documentation, and expert analyses.
Authorities are investigating bribery, illegal procurement of pyrotechnic materials, and several other criminal offenses. The tragedy occurred on Sunday, March 16, at the “Pulse” nightclub in Kocani, resulting in 59 deaths and over 190 injuries.
