Skopje, 22 December 2021 (MIA) - Non-selectivity in the rule of law and responsibility are the best way to overcome the social apathy that is spreading, and the disappointment, especially among the younger ones who do not believe that there can ever be justice in this country. Many studies confirm that the emigration of our fellow citizens, to a large extent, is caused not only by existential reasons, but also by the quality of life, President Stevo Pendarovski said Wednesday in his annual address in Parliament with Speaker Talat Xhaferi, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, lawmakers, ministers, diplomats and members of the media in attendance. “In other words, people go to those countries where there is justice, where even the richest and most powerful are held accountable for breaking the law, just like those who are pushed to the periphery of life,” he stated. Reform in the field of rule of law, Pendarovski said,  is by far the most important priority for the country. “In my opinion, will be and should be, in the years ahead, completely independent of our pace of approaching Brussels. Despite the moderate progress noted in the latest Report of the European Commission, our old obligation remains, which we often do not respect - to fully implement the reform in practice,” added the President. According to him, a crucial aspect in the establishment of a functioning rule of law is equality before the law, i.e. non-selectivity of justice. “With the laws we pass we must not privilege those who do not respect the order as opposed to those who respect it. It is especially disappointing that, unfortunately, all relevant public opinion polls prove the growing sense among citizens that a culture of impunity prevails in the country. The only way to restore trust in the institutions is to have a legal finale in all the cases where there is a suspicion of crime,” noted Pendarovski. The fatal bus accident, which killed 45 passengers, is the latest in the series of such cases, said the President. “If this one, as well as some previous cases, do not end up with a court decision within a reasonable time, the distrust of citizens will only grow. A society with such tendencies is fertile ground for the emergence of authoritarian and populist leaders who, instead of a quality process, promise ‘fast and efficient’ justice,” Pendarovski said in his year-end address. The President began the address in Parliament with a moment of silence in tribute to the people who died in the November bus accident in Bulgaria, the September hospital fire in Tetovo and those who died of coronavirus-related complications since the onset of the epidemic in North Macedonia.