Latest News from Macedonia

With early elections due in spring and the country's EU perspectives far from secure, North Macedonia risks a year of petty political and ethnic squabbles - and even a relapse into full-blown crisis.

Serbian, Kosovo and NATO leaders on Monday welcomed the signing of an agreement to reopen the air link between Pristina and Belgrade that was broken 21 years ago.

US diplomats oversaw the signing of the agreement in Berlin, which will mean flights being operated by Lufthansa's budget carrier, Eurowings.

The European Union's top enlargement official on Wednesday held out new hope that the block will start accession talks within months with North Macedonia and Albania, whose bids were frustrated last year.

The government's plan to ease pressure on Aegean islands amid the continuing arrival of irregular migrants from neighboring Turkey foresees 10 new centers on the mainland that will be able to host up to 15,000 asylum seekers, with the first 10,000 to be transferred from the islands to the new facilities by the end of February, Kathimerini understands.

The Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki presents an exhibition comprising icons, vestments and precious heirlooms on loan from the northern port city's Municipal Art Gallery. The items are shown alongside texts which present and explain the most recent findings on Byzantine painting in northern Greece, and especially Thessaloniki, Mount Athos and Central and Western Macedonia.

Holding people accountable for failing to live up to their responsibilities when the state mechanism fails - as was the case last week with the closure of a section of the Athens-Lamia highway - sends the right message.
However, the system will not be improved by momentary political reactions, even if these do serve as an outlet for justified public anger.

The prime minister of North Macedonia submitted his resignation Friday, paving the way for a new caretaker Cabinet to be named in order to organize a snap election.