VMRO DPNNE party

An opinion poll published on Monday by the International Republican Institute, IRI, a US-based democracy development organisation, suggested that North Macedonia's main ruling Social Democrats enjoy a very slight popularity advantage over their bitter rivals, the right-wing opposition VMRO DPNNE party.

Macedonia's Social Policy Ministry has denounced as lies claims by the opposition right-wing VMRO DPNNE party that the country is considering building permanent housing and issuing citizenship to migrants from the war-torn Middle-Eastern countries who are traversing its territory.

Macedonian police prevented rival rallies in Skopje from coming to blows on Thursday night amid fears that political tensions in the country could spiral out of control.

The anti-government rally was organized by the civil movement "Protestiram" ["I Protest"] and supported by the opposition Social Democrats, SDSM.

The US Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, on Monday visited Macedonia to try and help solve the crisis over the illegal surveillance scandal centred on Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.