And from what I saw and understood, they had a forged license.
What a tragedy.
Yes, they had two forged licenses. But the bigger problem is that hundreds—maybe even thousands—across the country have the same.
Macedonia does not have a Medical Center for Burn Victims. We used to, but it was shut down because they believed we didn’t need it.
Now, more than 50 injured people have to be sent to Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia, and Romania for treatment in their burn centers.
The public is divided—some demand accountability and prosecution for those responsible for this tragedy, while others see the bigger picture. They want justice too, but they also point to the deeply rooted corruption that has plagued the system for the past 35 years.
Given the scale of this tragedy, I believe they will resolve this case under public pressure—if only to protect the corrupt system that continues to devour this country.
And traditional Balkan corruption.
Yes, the situation in society is much like in Serbia. The biggest problem is systemic corruption. The only difference, at least for now, is that the Serbian people are starting to wake up and recognize corruption as the root cause of their problems.
In Macedonia, I believe people are still asleep. There are some voices here and there speaking out, but they haven’t yet reached the critical mass needed for real change.
Unfortunately, it seems that people will have to suffer even more before that awakening happens. I’d like to believe that this major shock will be the turning point, but judging by the public’s reaction, I doubt it will lead to any real systemic change.
