VMRO DPMNE party

The results of the municipal polls have brought the governing Social Democrats' arch-rivals in the right-wing VMRO DPMNE party back into the game - and closer to possibly forming a new government.

North Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party declared victory over the centre-left government on Sunday night after polls closed in the local elections, which would mark a striking political comeback after three election defeats to the ruling Social Democrats.

Opposition parties, government critics and some medical doctors have called for the resignation of North Macedonia's Health Minister, Venko Filipce, over the fire that took 14 lives in Tetovo's COVID-19 modular hospital earlier this week.

North Macedonia's parliament has adopted a resolution which draws so-called "red lines" in talks with Bulgaria on the Macedonian identity and language.

Initially filed in early July by the main opposition right wing VMRO DPMNE party, it was supported by 95 out of the 96 MPs present in the 120-seat parliament, with only one abstaining.

North Macedonia's fugitive former prime minister Nikola Gruevski could face a fresh money laundering probe following reports that he used money transferred from his home country to start new business ventures in Hungary, the former prosecutor of the now defunct North Macedonia's Special Prosecution, SJO, Lence Ristovka, said.

The Criminal Court in Skopje on Monday in a first instance verdict sentenced former speaker of parliament Trajko Veljanoski to six years and six months in jail and former transport and former labour ministers, Mile Janakieski and Spiro Ristovski, to six years and three months in jail each.

The former head of the secret police, Vladimir Atanasovski, was jailed for six years .

After previously saying they saw no reason for it, North Macedonia's main ruling Social Democrats on Monday offered to support an opposition resolution on the country's language and identity in regards to ongoing talks with neighbouring Bulgaria.

North Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party on Wednesday pledged to continue daily roadblocks until the Social Democratic government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev "comes clean" over its ongoing talks with neighbouring Bulgaria over their history dispute.

North Macedonia's Organised Crime Prosecution on Wednesday filed charges against the country's fugitive former prime minister, Nikola Gruevski, and some of his former close associates, in a high-profile case linked to the illicit purchase of building sites.

The head of the main opposition VMRO DPMNE party in North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, told Alfa TV on Thursday that since his party revealed a passport forgery scam involving the police, he and his loved ones had received grave threats.