Zayev

Currently, our country is in negotiations with Bulgaria, which are based on European values and respect all adopted resolutions. This was said by the newly elected leader of the ruling Social Democratic Union in RN Macedonia, Dimitar Kovachevski, during his first public statement. He replaces Zoran Zaev, who has held the post since 2013, BGNES reported.

Bulgaria's blockade on North Macedonia's EU progress spelled big trouble for Zoran Zaev, as did mismanagement of a slew of domestic issues, from vaccination to wildfires.

After the fact, one could argue that his ill-thought-out bet that people would flock to support him is a good illustration of how he and particularly the people around him have lost touch with reality and to what extent his inner circle is packed with yes-men who are totally ignorant of the true sentiments in society.

An arrangement has been reached to cancel border controls between Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania as of 1 January, 2023, President Aleksandar Vučić said in Skopje on Thursday.

Caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev announced before the Council of Ministers on Wednesday that an official delegation of North Macedonia, headed by his counterpart Zoran Zaev, is arriving in Sofia on Thursday.

Zaev's ascent to power can be traced to his starring role in lifting the lid on the corruption, meddling and abuse of power that had become widespread in Gruevski's regime, when the Social Democrat leader began feeding intelligence service wiretaps to the media in a series of sensational press conferences in 2015.

Some 2,000 protesters staged an opposition rally in North Macedonia late Thursday to demand the resignation of the country's Social Democrat prime minister, Zoran Zaev.

North Macedonia's president on Thursday handed a mandate to pro-Western ex-prime minister Zoran Zaev to form a new government after his party bloc narrowly won a July 15 election.

"I will lead a government that will not ... veer away from the road leading to membership of the European Union after obtaining membership of NATO," Zaev said.

With polls in the air, Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev is again dusting off long forgotten promises to vet the judges - after his other reforms to the country's heavily politicised justice system were deemed lacklustre.

The April elections will be a moment of truth for Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev - who won praise for reviving his country's Euro-Atlantic hopes - but also criticism for ducking reforms at home.