Zoran Zaev

Supporters of the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party which faces losing power after 11 years at the helm, took to the streets bearing cardboard shields, painted in the national colours, red and yellow, to display dislike for the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM)-led coalition government.

Experts say the possible resignation of ethnic Albanian ministers from Macedonia's provisional government would increase the "pressure" for the formation of a new government but would not necessarily resolve the current crisis.

A tete-a-tete between EU Council President Donald Tusk and Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov in Skopje ended without a breakthrough after Tusk failed to persuade Ivanov to award a mandate for the formation of a new government to the opposition Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev.

Zaev and his coalition allies have mustered a majority in Macedonia's parliament.

SDSM leader Zoran Zaev says it is "a lie" that "Macedonia will sue Serbia for genocide."

He told the Belgrade based daily Danas in an interview that these "lies were made up in order to cause a quarrel with the friendly Serbian people."

We pointed out very clearly and directly that there is external interference in the creation of the crisis in the Republic of Macedonia.

After meeting with key political leaders, Hahn urged Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, with whom he failed to meet during his stay, to respect the constitution and not to obstruct the mandate which would allow the formation of the opposition-led government.

Ivanov's office confirmed on Tuesday that President Ivanov, who is currently on his way back from Hungary, will not return in time to meet Hahn, and insisted that it had already informed Brussels.

Amid heightened tensions in Macedonia, Commissioner Johannes Hahn who will be accompanied by MEPs Ivo Vajgl, Eduard Kukan and Knut Fleckenstein is expected to press for the formation of the new opposition-led coalition government in Macedonia as the only way out of the country's deep political crisis.

The approval rating of the leader of the Macedonian party VMRO-DPMNE - Nikola Gruevski - is almost double that of Zoran Zaev, chairman of the SDSM (Macedonian Social Democratic Party).

Acting on the announced demand of the parties that form the new majority in Macedonia's parliament, the current provisional speaker, Trajko Veljanoski, is expected to schedule resumption of the constitutive session in the assembly in the next few days.