Macedonia Press Review – February 6, 2013

DNEVNIK
Other than the dispute with Greece over the name Macedonia, the country may get other obstacles on its road to EU in the form of the alcoholic beverages Rakija and Mastika, the traditional Shopska Salad or the Macedonian Wine, the daily says. Experts say that neighboring countries may potentially condition Macedonia to give up the rights for these products managing to register them as their own. They accuse Macedonia of being passive in the last couple of years, not registering a single produce with a trademark geographic origin before the European institutions.

UTRINSKI VESNIK
Regardless of whether Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski will agree on early general polls, it is becoming more likely that this year the people will have the chance to vote for their legislators once again, the daily says. This development of the political crisis is becoming more probable after opposition MPs announced that they will resign from parliament. Observers comment that the possible general elections, and the different views regarding their form would complicate things for the country that is expecting a positive EC report in the Spring. While the opposition insists on proper early elections in March, the ruling party said that if opposition MPs resign their seats, elections will be held only for the 43 vacated seats, not for all the other seats in the 123-member parliament.

Balkan Insight has not verified the reports and cannot vouch for their accuracy.