North Macedonia Passes Prosecution Law in Knife-Edge Vote

After a year of unsuccessful talks with the opposition and after a week of tense efforts to secure a majority in parliament, the ruling Social Democrats in North Macedonia narrowly shepherded an important law through parliament amid loud objections from the opposition about the regularity of the vote.

Exactly 80 of the 120 MPs in parliament voted for the law on the prosecution - the minimum needed for its adoption. Six voted against while none abstained.

Voting proceeded amid high tension in the chamber after the speaker annulled the first vote, in which only 74 MPs supported the bill, saying he had omitted to give the word to two MPs who previously asked to submit procedural remarks.

The second, successful vote caused an uproar among opposition VMRO DPMNE party MPs. They insisted that the first vote should have been enough and that the second vote was illegitimate and done under pressure from the ruling Social Democrats.

"Criminals, criminals… shame! That's the only thing I can say," VMRO DPMNE MP Nikola Micevski shouted, joined by his opposition colleagues.

The Social Democrats had pushed strongly for adoption of the law on the prosecution, which the EU and the US also support, hoping it will persuade Brussels to finally set a date for the start of EU accession talks. The EU failed to set an expected date late last autumn, which prompted the Social Democrats to call the early elections on April 12.

The vote took place at the last minute, just as parliament was about to dissolve on Sunday to pave the way for the early elections.

Before that happens, MPs also convened to pass a key law on defence, which aligns the country's legislation with that of NATO, incorporating its collective security principles. Eighty MPs voted...