Strengthening Social Dialogue for Just Transitions and Democratic Governance in North Macedonia (Comparative Insights from North Macedonia and Hungary)

This lecture explores the role of social dialogue as a fundamental instrument for achieving just transitions and strengthening democratic governance in times of profound environmental, digital, and socio-economic change. Using North Macedonia as a case study, the lecture examines how structured cooperation between governments, employers, and workers contributes to fair, inclusive, and sustainable reform processes. Social dialogue is presented not merely as a labour-law mechanism, but as a broader democratic practice that enables participation, trust-building, and shared responsibility in policy-making.

Drawing on International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, European Union sustainability frameworks—particularly the European Green Deal and the concept of just transition—and national legal and institutional arrangements, the lecture analyses the legal foundations, institutional structures, and practical functioning of social dialogue in North Macedonia. Particular attention is given to the role of tripartite and bipartite dialogue in managing labour market transformation, green and digital transitions, skills development, and minimum wage setting.

The lecture highlights both achievements and ongoing challenges, including limited representativeness, political discontinuity, and weak implementation capacity. It concludes that strengthening social dialogue is essential for transforming democratic governance from a formal institutional model into a living process of participation. Ultimately, the lecture argues that just transitions can only succeed when designed and implemented through dialogue, making social dialogue a cornerstone of both sustainability and democracy.