Macedonian Leaders to Convene Amid Political Crisis

The political atmosphere in Macedonia has grown increasingly tense since the opposition began a boycott of parliament last week. Opposition MPs accuse centre-right Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of totalitarian rule and curbing media freedom. They have stepped up calls for early elections.

"Boycotts in the past have ended by sitting down at the table and talking through a solution,” Ivanov said on Friday from Washington, where he is on an official visit.

His call for a joint meeting comes after top European officials expressed their concern over the recent developments in the EU candidate country.

“We call on all political leaders, in the government and the opposition, to re-engage in order to ensure the proper functioning of parliament,” Natasha Butler, the spokesperson for EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, told Balkan insight.

“The place of members of parliament is in parliament and the country needs to get back to normal as soon as possible,” she said.

Fuele’s office expressed regret that the political dialogue between the government and the opposition is weak, and urged for “maturity” on the part of all political players in order to overcome the situation.

Five opposition parties left parliament last Friday in the wake of controversy over the future of Macedonia’s A1 TV, which has accused the government of trying to shut it down by influencing a court decision to freeze its account. The government has denied the allegations.

A1, which is the most popular TV station in the country, is often critical of the government’s work.

“We will continue to closely monitor the developments” regarding A1, Butler told Balkan Insight. “It is essential that independent television channels may broadcast freely and without hindrance”.  

In 2005, Macedonia became an EU candidate country and in 2009 the European Commission, EC, recommended the start of its EU accession talks, a move that was later blocked by Greece over the countries' unresolved “name” dispute.

The EC repeated the recommendation for the country in 2010 but also reiterated criticism over Macedonia's weak political dialogue and problems surrounding media freedom.