Republic of Macedonia Crisis Deepens as Election Date Talks Fail
- Macedonia needs strong government, EU Commissioner Hahn says
- Political parties will continue talks with EU mediation
The political gridlock in the Republic of Macedonia deepened as the leaders of the four main parties failed to agree on a date for early elections after the biggest opposition group sought to postpone the vote beyond an initial deadline of April 24.
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who brokered the negotiations in the former Yugoslav nation, urged all parties to continue talks and hold elections that would bring “a strong, decisive government,” he said in a video recording of a press briefing in Skopje early on Saturday on A1 Television website. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski tendered his resignation on Friday to allow the creation of a caretaker administration that will organize the election, as laid out in the EU-brokered agreement in July between the ruling coalition and the opposition.