Macedonia PM Called To Face Opposition Chief

Branko Crvenkovski, the head of the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, on Tuesday called on  the Prime Minister and ruling centre-right VMRO DPMNE party leader, Nikola Gruevski, to face him in a TV debate.

The two heads have not sat face to face in front of the cameras since Crvenkovski took the helm of the opposition in May last year.

Crvenkovski argued that the state faces economic hardships, worsened ethnic relations between the Macedonian majority and the Albanian minority and stalled EU and NATO bids, and he blamed the PM for the problems.

“I call upon you to stop destroying the country’s present and gambling with its future. Stop making Macedonia a state that is mocked in the eyes of the world,” Crvenkovski said.

VMRO DPMNE replied that Crvenkovski’s remarks are a result of his frustration, saying that one year after his return to the helm of the party, the opposition's popularity ratings have not risen.

In an attempt to play down the opposition’s recent statements blaming the government for the country's current situation, the VMRO DPMNE recently increased its campaign against Crvenkovski, blaming him for leaving thousands of workers out on the street during Macedonia’s transition from socialism to capitalism in the 1990s.

An NGO dubbed "Victims of the Transition" staged a series of protests in front of the opposition headquarters, blaming Crvenkovski directly for their hardship.