North Macedonia faces political uncertainty following local elections and PM Zaev's resignation
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced earlier this week that he would resign after his party suffered an overwhelming defeat during recent municipal elections to the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE, the main opposition party. Following the election, Zaev insisted that the coalition could agree on another candidate for prime minister and form a government, rejecting calls from the opposition for early elections. Late on Friday, however, opposition leader Hirstijan Mickoski met with other political leaders, including members of the ruling coalition, to announce that they would form a new majority in North Macedonia’s parliament that could topple Zaev’s cabinet. Professor Florian Bieber, an expert on the Balkans, joins The Greek Current to break down the recent elections in North Macedonia and its aftermath.
Professor Florian Bieber is a Professor of Southeast European History and Politics and Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, Austria. He is also a coordinator at The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group.
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
North Macedonia: PM Zoran Zaev, the man who went 'all in' is all out
North Macedonia Coalition Parties Urge Zaev to Reconsider Resignation
What just happened in North Macedonia? 2021 municipal elections and their aftermath
North Macedonia’s Opposition Claims New Parliament Majority
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