Thewesternbalkans
North Macedonia’s parliament on June 23 elected a new coalition government led by Hristijan Mickoski’s right-wing nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party.
A total of 77 lawmakers in the 120-seat parliament voted in favor of the new government, and 22 voted against. The remaining 21 lawmakers (including the entire political group of European front coalition) were absent during the ballot.
The coalition cabinet comprising VMRO-DPMNE, ethnic Albanian alliance VLEN and left-wing ZNAM movement needed 61 votes in favour to pass.
Including Mickoski as prime minister, there will be 24 ministers in the government, five of whom will be deputy prime ministers. Sixteen of the cabinet members are from the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition Your Macedonia, six from the coalition VLEN block of Albanian opposition parties, and two from the political party ZNAM.
In his first term as premier, Mickoski, told the lawmakers it was the time to “roll up the sleeves and start solving problems in the country”. He said that his government will not need 100 days to show results in reforms but will start immediately to work to attract new investment, cut taxes and increase pensions and wages.
Mickoski said that his government will remain committed to European integration and will work to harmonize policies with European standards, advancing towards the goal of full membership in the EU.
While Mickoski referred to the state as “Macedonia” during the two-day parliamentary debate leading to Sunday’s vote, he used the country’s constitutional name, Republic of North Macedonia, in his swearing-in oath. “I say that this designation, which I have to state during my swearing-in, is shameful, as it reminds me personally of the shame you have brought to my country … And as long as I live, both politically and as a person, I will do everything in my power to right this injustice”, he said.
Comment: VMRO-DPMNE has been in the opposition since 2017, when the government of Nikola Gruevski was ousted after the 2016 elections over alleged corruption and replaced by the SDSM-led government.
The party was boycotted last 7 years over concern that its nationalist leanings could harm relations with EU neighbors Greece and Bulgaria and the country’s EU bid but at the last general elections voters turned from left to right in frustration with slow development and delays in the EU integration.
Despite the repeatedly stated position that he and his team will remain committed to European integration, for the last few weeks Mickoski managed to create serious tension in the relations with Greece, exchanging sharp remarks with his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis regarding the regulations and implementation of the Prespa Agreement.
Relations with Bulgaria are also likely to suffer. VMRO-DPMNE has denounced the prospect of a constitutional amendment as a “capitulation to Bulgarian dictates”.
The appointment of Ivan Stoilković, president of the Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia, as the new Minister of Relations between the Communities, can be interpreted as a provocation not only to the EU, but also to the Albanian community in the country.
