VMRO-DPMNE

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Macedonia this year decided against holding a traditional banquet to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the historic 2001 Ohrid Peace Accord which ended a short-lived conflict that year by granting more rights to the country's ethnic Albanians.

The decision of the government of North Macedonia to scrap movement restrictions, starting Wednesday, and gradually reopen cafes on Thursday, has drawn criticism that the move is driven mainly by the ruling party's quest for early elections rather than being based on real assessments of the health situation.

Former Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and opposition VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski have been isolated on suspicion of a coronavirus. This was announced by Health Minister Venko Filipce.

Heating Up

Moment of Truth

Zoran Zaev, until recently the Prime Minister of North Macedonia and leader of the ruling SDSM, faces his moment of truth on April 12th as Macedonian voters are set to go to the polls to pass judgement on his government. While having achieved a great deal in the foreign policy realm, his government has disappointed expectations on the domestic front.

Thousands of opposition supporters marched peacefully through North Macedonia's capital Skopje late Tuesday to protest what they claim was interference in the judiciary by the country's former prime minister.
The protest to the Supreme Court building was organized by the conservative main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party amid campaigning for early parliamentary elections on April 12.

Voters, she said, must choose between that future or a return to the past under VMRO-DPMNE when the party was accused of monopolising power, undermining independent institutions, stifling media freedom and spending wildly on nationalist vanity projects.

The Parliament of Northern Macedonia passed the law on the state prosecutor's office and dissolved itself - less than two months until the next elections.

North Macedonia's parliament has voted to dismiss Labor Minister Rashela Mizrahi from the caretaker government for appearing during a press conference next to a sign that read "Republic of Macedonia."

Hungarian ads filled the gap after change of power:

Screenshot from Republika. Photo: Prizma.mk 

A quick look on the media outlets where these adverts were placed reveals that they were not chosen at random.