Agim Selami discusses the obstacles to depoliticizing the civil service in Macedonia. He points to neighboring Slovenia as a model for civil service reform in Macedonia, particularly emphasizing Slovenia's "rightsizing" and merit-based promotions. His views cover the limitations of the Civil Servants Agency, its failure to follow through on enacted legislation, and necessary reforms such as a career system, in which internal candidates are recognized for service and promoted from within. Selami recognizes European Union membership as a driving force for reform in Macedonia and other southeast European states. He also discusses the ethnic representation within the civil service and the lure of higher rates of pay in the nongovernmental sector.
At the time of this interview, Agim Selami was the management coordinator and a research fellow for public administration reform at Analytica, a think tank in Skopje, Macedonia.