Hristijan Mickoski

Implementing the agreement with Greece is a condition for its accession to the EU and NATO.

In his public address after Monday's parlays, Macedonian Prime Minister and main ruling Social Democrats leader Zoran Zaev accused the opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE chief Hristijan Mickovski of "lying" that he wants his country to join NATO and the EU, and of hiding his true intentions at the talks.

Talks between Macedonia's main ruling Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, and the main opposition VMRO DPMNE party, led by Hristijan Mickovski, failed to clear the path on Thursday towards a referendum on the historic "name" deal with Greece.

The prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has announced the question his country's citizens will face in a referendum this fall on a recent deal with Greece changing the country's name to "North Macedonia."

A meeting of political leaders in Skopje on Wednesday evening to debate the referendum on the name deal with Greece was disrupted when VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski stormed out, claiming that not all parliamentary parties were represented. 

The meeting had been expected to set a date for the referendum, which, according to last month's deal, will be held in the fall.

A thousand-hour protest against the change of the Macedonian name occurred on the streets of Skopje. The strike also demanded early elections because of the state of the economy.

Thousands of Macedonian flags and flags of the opposition gathered outside the building of the Council of Ministers in Skopje

Some of the protesters wore posters saying "Macedonia will win".

The new VMRO DPMNE leader, Hristijan Mickovski, dubbed Zoran Zaev's Social Democrat-led government a "criminal cartel" at Saturday's rally against Macedonia's current administration.

He accused the government of widespread corruption, a firm grip on the judiciary and media, and of a failure to produce any results for the economy.

Macedonia's main opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE party is to end its boycott of parliament next Tuesday for a vote of no-confidence in the Social Democrat-led government of Zoran Zaev.

The motion is unlikely to pass as the opposition lacks the minimum of 61 MPs needed in the 120-seat parliament to bring down the government.

During his visit to the Macedonia, UN mediator Matthew Nimetz said that issues about [Macedonian] "identity" are not part of his mandate - and that he had not heard the Greek side denying the identity of the people who live in Macedonia.

Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party insists that its MPs' caucus in parliament stands united behind the new party chief, Hristijan Mickoski, elected in December - despite growing evidence to the contrary.

"The caucus is strong and united. All MPs are actively participating in the decision-making process within the organs of the party," VMRO DPMNE told BIRN on Thursday.