Macedonian PM Rallies Supporters With Defiant Speech

Thousands of supporters of the ruling VMRO DPMNE party rallied in front of parliament to hear a defiant speech from the Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski.

The rally held under the motto "For a Strong Macedonia" aimed to show that many people still back Gruevski amid growing calls for his resignation.

"For the last three-and-a-half months, Macedonia has been under serious attack. All this time we were atypically silent and waiting for these attacks to end," Gruevski said in a defiant speach.

"We were silent but it was enough," he added. "It is time for Macedonia to respond... Macedonia does not give up. Macedonia is strong!"

Gruevski accused the opposition of resorting to "aggression and divisions" with its accusations against the government, calling the demands for his resignation "a dictatorship of a political minority".

However, "the people can recognize when someone wants to lie to them and manipulate them", the Prime Minister continued.

Gruevski accused opposition Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev of corruption and of being supported by "foreign inteligence services" in his mission to topple the government. "Macedonia will never allow a Prime Minister like Zaev," Gruevski maintained.

"What will happen if this nomenclature of violent and frustrated people comes to power?" he asked.

"They will eat people alive! They want my resignation?! They in fact want us to leave Macedonia to them. But this force, this massive attendance [at the rally] and this energy is the best answer to those people."

Gruevski also claimed the political crisis was weakening the economy and would result in lay-offs.

The calls for Gruevski's resignation come after the opposition started in February to release wiretapped...