N.Macedonia PM calls for snap election after EU snub

Yahoo – AFP, Robert Atanasovski with Sally Mairs in Belgrade, October 19, 2019

The name change was to unblock EU talks, but it didn't, courtesy of France
(AFP Photo/Robert ATANASOVSKI)

Skopje (Republic of North Macedonia) (AFP) - North Macedonia's prime minister on Saturday proposed a snap election after the EU blocked the start of membership talks, scrambling what had been the key policy goal of his administration.

After hours of heated wrangling, European Union leaders on Friday could not agree on opening Skopje's accession negotiations, chiefly because of opposition from France.

The move triggered a wave of anger and disappointment, not just in North Macedonia and Albania -- whose bid was also put on hold -- but among EU officials and leaders who had lobbied hard to open the talks.

"We are victims of the EU's historic mistake," Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in a televised address, echoing the words of European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker a day earlier, who appeared deeply apologetic for the decision.

"This is what I'm proposing: organising quick snap elections where you, citizens, will decide the road we are going to take," Zaev said. He would meet with the president and other political leaders on Sunday to discuss the next steps, he added.

North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said the EU had made a 'historic
mistake' in blocking the start of accession talks (AFP Photo/OLIVER BUNIC)

"I have no date, all options are open, we will agree on that all together," he added.

'Give me a mandate'

In his address, Zaev said he shared the "anger and disappointment" of the people. But he asked them to give him another chance to keep fighting for the membership bid.

"I love my country, so I am asking people to give me a mandate to continue along this path."

Zaev and his Social Democrats came to power in 2017, ousting the right-wing party of former strongman Nikola Gruevski, who had dominated the country for a decade.

Since then, his government has poured all of its political capital into putting North Macedonia on a path to EU membership.

That included embarking on a complicated and politically risky effort to change his country's name, which has been Macedonia ever since it emerged from former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Adding 'North' to the name was a painful compromise that resolved a decades-old argument with Greece that was seen as the major stumbling block for any future EU integration.

Zoran Zaev's government has poured all of its political capital into putting North
Macedonia on a path to EU membership (AFP Photo/Robert ATANASOVSKI)

Brussels had pushed hard for the name change and promised the Balkan state would be rewarded.

While the deal won North Macedonia an invitation to join NATO, the larger goal of starting EU talks keeps sliding towards the horizon.

"We delivered results in the reforms, we resolved the issues with our neighbours, but they (the EU) did not keep their word," Zaev said in his address.

Apart from France, all the other member states accepted that North Macedonia had made enough progress on reforms to start the negotiations.

Yet French President Emmanuel Macron refused to budge from his position that the entire accession process must first be reformed before opening the door to new members.

The issue is now on hold until next spring.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his son Dushko cast their ballot for a referendum
to re-name their country North Macedonia on September 30, 2018 (AFP Photo/
DIMITAR DILKOFF)

"This is just not fair, what France did, what the EU did," said Vladimir Kostovski, a 28-year-old in Skopje.

Velko Velinov, a 29-year-old legal assistant, shared the frustration.

"They made us change our name for zero, for nothing. Zaev did that and now he is gonna lose elections," he told AFP.

All of the Western Balkan countries aspire to someday join the European Union, but progress has been slow and is increasingly threatened by the waning appetite for enlargement among some member states.

The EU's failure to follow through for North Macedonia is a "disastrous" blow to the bloc's credibility in the region, said James Ker-Lindsay, a Balkans expert at the London School of Economics.

UN notified of name change to North Macedonia

Yahoo – AFP, 13 February 2019

Workers set up a sign reading 'Republic of North Macedonia' at the
Macedonia-Greece border near Gevgelija on February 13, 2019

The United Nations confirmed on Wednesday that it has been officially informed by the Macedonian government that the country's new name is North Macedonia.

At the United Nations, the country had been known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) because Greece objected to the use of Macedonia, the name used for its own northern region.

The 27-year-old dispute was finally settled in June during UN-brokered talks.

The new name came into force Tuesday after constitutional changes were published in the Official Gazette and Skopje's foreign ministry said both countries had informed the UN by letter that the change is now in force.

A UN official said a notice would be sent to the General Assembly and the Security Council to inform them of the change.

Since 1991, Athens had objected to its neighbor being called Macedonia because Greece has a historic northern province of the same name. Greece has blocked Macedonia's NATO and EU integration until it changes the name.

Greece, Macedonia sign historic deal to end name row

Yahoo – News, Vassilis KYRIAKOULIS, Saska Cvetkovska, 17 June 2018

The name change was agreed on in talks between Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras, seen on the right, and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, both of
whom were at the signing ceremony

Greece and Macedonia on Sunday signed a historic preliminary agreement to rename the small Balkan nation the Republic of North Macedonia, ending a row that has poisoned relations between the two neighbours since 1991.

"This is a brave, historic and necessary step for our peoples," said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

"We are here to heal the wounds of time, to open a path for peace, fraternisation and growth for our countries, the Balkans and Europe," he said.

"Our two countries should step out of the past and look to the future," said Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

"By signing the agreement... we have really moved mountains," he stressed.

But as the two countries' foreign ministers signed the deal Greek protesters clashed with riot police, who beat them back with tear gas near the small village of Pisoderi, 25 kilometres (16 miles) away from the ceremony.

Six policemen and six protesters were injured, police said, as around 500 demonstrators waving Greek flags tried to approach the signature ceremony.

The accord aims to start unravelling one of the world's longest diplomatic disputes, which began 27 years ago with Macedonia's declaration of independence but whose roots date back centuries.

"The time has come again to sing happy songs in the Balkans," Tsipras said, moments before the document was signed by the foreign ministers.

Greece's northern province of Macedonia was the cradle of Alexander the Great's 

empire and is a source of intense pride for modern-day Greeks

Zaev and several of his ministers arrived by speedboat at the picturesque fishing village of Psarades under a sunny sky, on the southern bank of Lake Prespa, one of the natural boundaries between the two countries.

Tsipras and Zaev embraced on the village dock and were treated to a standing ovation by gathered dignitaries.

UN under-secretary-general for political affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, longterm UN negotiator Matthew Nimetz, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn were on hand, snapping pictures with their smartphones.

Nimetz, who turned 79 on Sunday, and was given a birthday cake, has been trying to broker a solution since 1994, first as a US envoy and subsequently on behalf of the United Nations.

But it was the election of Zaev in 2017, replacing nationalist prime minister Nikola Gruevski, that proved crucial.

An economist and former mayor of Strumica, Zaev made a rapprochement with Greece a priority to secure his country's membership of the European Union and NATO, blocked by Athens for years.

After the signature, Tsipras crossed over to the Macedonian side of Lake Prespa for lunch, becoming the first Greek prime minister to visit the neighbouring state.

Since 1991, Athens has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has its own northern province of the same name, which in ancient times was the cradle of Alexander the Great's empire -- a source of intense pride for modern-day Greeks.

Protest rallies against the name change took place in both countries

The two premiers, born just months apart in 1974, have bucked strong hostile reactions at home to push ahead with the agreement.

Accusations of treachery

Tsipras has been accused of treachery by Greek hardliners, and on Saturday defeated a vote of censure against his government amid protests and clashes with police outside parliament.

In Macedonia, President Gjorge Ivanov plans to exercise a one-time veto option to block the deal that the nationalist opposition has called a "capitulation".

The Macedonian parliament is scheduled to start debating the agreement the coming week.

The accord still needs to be approved by Macedonia's parliament and then pass a referendum.

The Macedonian constitution must also be revised by the end of the year, before Greece's parliament is called to ratify it.

On Sunday, some 5,000 people marched against the name deal in Bitola, in southwestern Macedonia, an event organised by the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party.

"Macedonia was hit by a hurricane today, and that hurricane has a name -- Zoran Zaev," VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski told the crowd. He reiterated that his party would not support any constitutional bid to change the country's name.

The one-hour protest held under slogan "Child North Macedonia -- Father Tsipras, Mother Zaev" ended peacefully.

'Brave steps'

Tsipras' domestic critics say he has bargained away Greece's diplomatic advantages -- the power of veto over EU and NATO accession -- for a deal that could backfire.

Albania, Macedonia backed for EU membership talks

Yahoo – AFP, Lachlan CARMICHAEL, April 17, 2018

The announcement comes a month ahead of a summit in Sofia when the leaders of
six Balkan nations will be given fresh hope of eventually joining the EU (AFP
Photo/EMMANUEL DUNAND)

Brussels (AFP) - The EU on Tuesday backed the opening of formal membership talks with Albania and Macedonia as the bloc looks to expand into the Balkans and grow for the first time in years.

The announcement comes a month ahead of a summit in Sofia when the leaders of six Balkan nations will be given fresh hope of eventually joining the EU, amid rivalry between Brussels and Moscow over the region.

Skopje and Tirana both welcomed the move and vowed to work hard to remove obstacles on the long way to full membership.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, recommended that member states "open accession negotiations with Albania and with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."

Mogherini stressed that any prospective members must make sweeping reforms to secure their entry to the club, which currently counts 28 countries as members -- although Britain is set to leave next year.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker put all enlargement on hold four years ago, and the Balkans states have become increasingly impatient.

Montenegro and Serbia are the frontrunners to join, having already started the formal membership process, with Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia lagging behind.

In February the EU unveiled its new strategy for the region, which aims to give membership to some states by 2025 but insists they must first resolve all border rows.

The EU has been wary of admitting new members before they settle their differences. The border rows will be a particular point of contention in a region still bedevilled by the aftermath of the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

These include a bitter and long-running dispute between Macedonia and EU-member Greece over its name, which Athens insists refers to its own northern province.

'Drift to Russia'

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, whose country's NATO membership bid has also been held up by the row, said his government wanted to resolve the dispute as soon as possible.

Macron insisted on reforming the European Union before expanding the

bloc (AFP Photo/Frederick FLORIN)

"We are making efforts to finish this before the summit... but we would be even happier if it can happen earlier," Zaev told a press conference in Skopje.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the former communist country has "passed the historic test of our rapprochment with Europe" but acknowledged hard work lay ahead.

Rama told reporters in the capital Tirana that it marked "the opening of a new, more difficult phase of reforms and reinforcing the fight against crime and corruption."

Mogherini told reporters at the European parliament that Montenegro and Serbia have "progressed well" with their reforms, adding that "maintaining and deepening the current reforms must continue in all areas."

These areas are the rule of law, human rights, democratic institutions and public administration as well as ensuring economic competitiveness.

An ally of Russia, Serbia has refused to recognise its former breakaway province of Kosovo since it declared independence a decade ago. Five EU countries also do not recognise its independence.

Bulgaria, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, has warned it is now or never for expanding the European Union into the Balkans as concerns grow about Moscow's influence in the bloc's eastern backyard.

French President Emmanuel Macron underscored the concerns, saying: "Yes to anchoring them in the EU and not letting them drift toward Turkey and Russia."

But Macron insisted on reforming the bloc before admitting them, saying: "I will not defend any new enlargement until there is a deepening and improvement of our own Europe."

EU, Turkey strike 'historic' deal to send back migrants

Yahoo – AFP, Lachlan Carmichael, 19 March 2016

Refugees and migrants arrive on the northern island of Lesbos after crossing 

the Aegean sea from Turkey, on February 23, 2016 (AFP Photo/Aris Messinis)

Brussels (AFP) - Turkish and EU leaders on Friday agreed a "historic" deal for curbing the influx of migrants that has plunged Europe into its biggest refugee crisis since the end of World War II.

Under the deal, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey as early as Sunday will be turned back.

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu 

(L) talks with EU Council President 

Donald Tusk during the EU summit at 

headquarters in Brussels on March 18, 

2016 (AFP Photo/John Thys)

But the leaders warned that a Herculean task lay ahead to implement the accord. And rights watchdogs said they would monitor it closely to ensure that those seeking asylum were protected.

Turkey extracted a string of political and financial concessions in exchange for becoming a bulwark against the flow of desperate humanity heading to Europe from Syria and elsewhere.

"It is a historic day because we reached a very important agreement between Turkey and the EU," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said after the deal was struck at a summit in Brussels.

"We today realised that Turkey and the EU have the same destiny, the same challenges and the same future."

EU president Donald Tusk said that under the deal, all "irregular" migrants would be returned to Turkey from Sunday.

For every Syrian refugee expelled, the EU would resettle one directly from Turkey.

Tusk said the deal would only work as part of a broader plan, including support for Greece, the main point of entry for migrants to Europe, and cutting the flow of refugees through the Balkans to Germany.

"Some may think this agreement is a silver bullet but reality is more complex," said Tusk, who has played a leading role in a crisis that has seen 1.2 million asylum seekers reach Europe since January 2015.

'Herculean task'

Around 4,000 people including women and children have drowned crossing the Aegean Sea in flimsy smugglers' boats, including 400 this year alone.

A key part of the agreement will take effect from Sunday midnight when all 

migrants arriving on the Greek islands will be designated for return to Turkey 

(AFP Photo/Simon MALFATTO, Jean Michel CORNU)

For its cooperation to stem the flow, Turkey won an acceleration of its long-stalled bid for EU membership, the doubling of refugee aid to six billion euros ($6.8 billion) and visa-free travel for its nationals to Europe's Schengen passport-free zone by June.

But there remained huge doubts about how to implement such a scheme, not least due to still often-tense relations between Ankara and Brussels.

"This is a Herculean task facing us," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told the press conference.

He said some 4,000 border officials and other experts will need to start working immediately on implementing the deal that will cost the EU up to 300 million euros over six months.

EU officials stressed that each application will be treated individually, with full rights of appeal and proper oversight.

Turkish officials as well as UNHCR officials will be sent to the Greek islands to oversee the scheme.

The deal also envisages major aid for Greece, where tens of thousands of refugees are already trapped in dire conditions after Balkan countries shut their borders.

The deal will not affect the 46,000 migrants already in Greece, who will either be expelled as economic migrants or granted asylum.

'Don't trade refugees

The United Nations and rights groups fear the deal could violate international law that forbids the mass deportation of refugees.

A man carries wood along the railway tracks in a makeshift camp at the 

Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni, on March 18, 

2016 (AFP Photo/Sakis Mitrolidis)

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stressed the right to asylum must be paramount.

"Ultimately, the response must be about addressing the compelling needs of individuals fleeing war and persecution. Refugees need protection, not rejection," it said in a statement.

Amnesty International set up a sign outside the summit venue saying: "Don't trade refugees".

The deal a "historic blow to human rights," Amnesty said.

John Dalhuisen, Amnesty director for Europe and Central Asia accused the EU of seeking to "wilfully ignore its international obligations”.

EU states have expressed concerns about Ankara's human rights record, including its treatment of the Kurds and a crackdown on critics of the government.

Far from the smiles in Brussels, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted the EU for taking a "handful of refugees" in contrast to the nearly three million Turkey is hosting.

Erdogan also accused the Europeans of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) days after a bombing in Ankara claimed by Kurdish rebels allegedly linked to the group.

"European countries are paying no attention, as if they are dancing in a minefield," he said.

Thousands of migrants are stranded at a makeshift camp in Idomeni on the 

Greece-Macedonian border (AFP Photo/Dimitar Dilkoff)

But one major hurdle that was overcome was opposition from Cyprus, which has long-standing tensions with Turkey over Ankara's refusal to recognise its government on the divided island.

The migrant crisis has left Europe increasingly divided, with fears that its Schengen passport-free zone could collapse as states reintroduce border controls and concerns over the rise of populism and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Greek Interior Minister Panagiotis Kouroumblis described the overwhelmed border town of Idomeni where many of the migrants are camped out as a "modern-day Dachau".

Some migrants, speaking in a rain-sodden makeshift camp, told AFP said they would stay, others that they would try to get across the border, and others said they were against moving to reception centres.

Imen, a 17-year-old girl travelling with her brother, mother and two aunts, said, "We have to meet our father who is in Germany now. He left a few months ago to wait for us there. What are we going to do?"

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Ai Weiwei brings white grand piano to muddy refugee field

Yahoo – AFP, 12 March 2016

Syrian Nour Alkhzam, 24, plays the piano during a concert organized by Chinese 

artist Ai Weiwei at the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni, 

on March 12, 2016 (AFP Photo/Sakis Mitrolidis)

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei set up a white grand piano in a muddy, rain-drenched refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Saturday, allowing a young Syrian woman to tinkle the ivories for the first time in years.

Performing in the pouring rain under a plastic sheet held up by Ai and others, 24-year-old Nour Alkhzam, who is hoping to reach her husband in Germany, played for 20 minutes in a field at the Idomeni border camp, where 12,000 migrants and refugees are stuck in grim conditions.

"This is our attempt to create an opportunity for this lady," Ai said at the end of the impromptu performance.

"She has been victimised by these wars. She has not had the chance to touch a piano in three years. She and her husband have been separated for one-and-a-half years."

He added that watching her play was "very touching".

"It tells the world that art will overcome the war," he told reporters.

The stunt was the latest in a series of projects by Ai to shine a spotlight on the people caught up in Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II.

"We want to reveal a new image of them, to relay possibility, art and imagination. This is the image that needs to be relayed to the world," he said.

Greek authorities estimate that 12,000 people are stuck at the camp at Idomeni, but thousands more are camped out in fields nearby, waiting in vain for the border to reopen so they can continue their journey north.

Ai Weiwei has been a noted supporter of refugees in recent months and 

condemned European politicians' handling of the situation (AFP Photo/

Sakis Mitrolidis)

Macedonia and several other countries on the migrant trail have sealed their borders over recent weeks, leaving the Greek government to struggle with a huge bottleneck of people stuck on its territory and forced to camp in increasing squalor.

Ai, a thorn in the side of China's Communist authorities, has repeatedly spoken out in support of refugees and denounced European politicians' handling of the crisis.

Last month, he draped thousands of lifejackets discarded by migrants arriving in Greece around the columns of Berlin's Konzerthaus concert hall.

And in January, the artist closed down an exhibition of his work in Copenhagen in protest after lawmakers passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to seize valuables from asylum seekers.

China's most prominent contemporary artist, Ai helped design the Bird's Nest stadium for the Beijing Olympics and has been exhibited around the globe, but his works have often run afoul of China's authorities.

He was detained in 2011 for 81 days over his advocacy of democracy and human rights as well as other criticisms of the government in Beijing.

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Control borders but don't shut them, says Dutch minister

Yahoo – AFP, February 14, 2016

Migrants and refugees cross the Greek-Macedonian border near the town

of Gevgelija, on February 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/Robert Atanasovski)

Skopje (AFP) - Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on Sunday said Europe must control its borders but not close them, as divisions deepen over how the continent should stem its huge influx of migrants.

Koenders, whose country currently holds the European Union's rotating six-month presidency, rejected calls for Macedonia to seal off its borders as he visited the capital Skopje.

"Some (EU) member states have urged Macedonia to close its border with Greece," Koenders said after a meeting with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki.

"Effective border control is most important rather than this moment going into a closure."

Macedonia is not a member of the EU but as a transit country on the Balkan route towards northern Europe, hundreds of thousands of refugees and other migrants passed through its territory last year after landing on Greek beaches from Turkey.

Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz on Friday warned Macedonia that it should be ready to close its border to migrants, saying Vienna may also begin turning refugees away in coming months.

Migrants and refugees board a train heading to Serbia from the Macedonian-Greek

border near Gevgelija on February 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/Robert Atanasovski)

Since November only refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq have been allowed to cross the Macedonian-Greek border, but migrants from other countries have still tried to get across.

Macedonia is building a new razor-wire fence parallel to an existing one on the Greek border to make it harder for migrants to enter illegally.

Koenders said he still believed it was possible to prevent a "domino effect" in border closures and find a solution to Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II.

"As EU president it is our task especially to talk with Austria, Macedonia, but also with Greece to make sure to find an effective solution to the issue of migration," he said.

"I still think it is very much possible."

Control borders but don't shut them, says Dutch foreign minister https://t.co/yVoBlLVpTL pic.twitter.com/CChN0CkmwL

— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 14, 2016

Over 20,000 call for Macedonian government to step down

Yahoo – AFP, Jasmina Mironski and Jovan Matic, 17 May 2015

People wave Macedonian and Albanian flags during an opposition rally 

in Skopje on May 17, 2015 (AFP Photo/Robert Atanasovski)

Skopje (AFP) - More than 20,000 people rallied in Macedonia's capital on Sunday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's government which is grappling with a deep political crisis and an outbreak of violence.

Waving Macedonian, but also Albanian flags, opposition protesters chanted "Victory! Victory!" at the demonstration in Skopje, the culmination of months of wrangling between Gruevski and his centre-left opponents that has already sparked clashes.

Macedonia's problems deepened last weekend when 18 people were killed in a shootout in the northern town of Kumanovo between police and ethnic Albanian rebels.

The main opposition leader, Zoran Zaev, has vowed that Sunday's protest will be peaceful, although the police brought in large supplies of anti-riot gear.

On a warm day, volunteers left bottles of water in front of the government building, in expectation of a long day.

Zaev said protesters would remain in front of the government building until Gruevski -- who has been in power for nine years -- and his cabinet stands down.

"The protest will continue. Some 4,600 activists, mostly young people, have said 'we'll stay regardless of whether you will or not'," he told the NOVA online television channel.

At the protest, Aleksandar Krstevski, a 33-year-old psychologist from Kumanovo, told AFP: "We will stay as long as it takes, until the final victory, until the prime minister's resignation."

Carrying a placard with the inscription "Goodbye Nikola", 29-year old Jelena said "there is a need to finish with this government."

The unrest last weekend was the worst in the former Yugoslav republic since its 2001 conflict between the government and ethnic Albanian rebels.

Eight police officers were among the 18 dead.

Thirty alleged gunmen, including 18 ethnic Albanians from neighbouring Kosovo, have been charged with terror offences following the shootout.

But the opposition and analysts have suggested the timing of the violence was suspicious, given the huge pressure on Gruevski's government.

Zaev's opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) is calling for the government to resign, accusing the ruling party of wiretapping 20,000 people, including politicians, journalists and religious leaders.

Zaev has released snippets of the alleged recordings that appear to show widespread government corruption, a murder cover-up and other wrongdoings.

His party has also boycotted parliament since an election in April last year, in which it claims Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party committed fraud.

"The time has come to show that we no longer want to live in a state led by Gruevski," the SDSM said in a statement.

Gruevski has remained defiant, insisting in an interview Saturday that he would not resign.

People take part in a rally in central Skopje on May 17, 2015 demanding that 

the government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski step down (AFP Photo/

Robert Atanasovski)

His government denies making the phone recordings released by Zaev, but not that the voices are authentic, although it says some are heavily edited or taken out of context.

The government in turn accuses Zaev and his followers of spying and of seeking to destabilise the country. It is due to hold a rival street protest on Monday.

'Survival manoeuvre'

Gruevski, Zaev and ethnic Albanian party leaders held talks this week to resolve the crisis, which could further hamper Macedonia's stalled bid for EU and NATO membership.

All sides pledged to condemn violence and support democratic values, but there was little sign of a serious resolution.

Two ministers and the intelligence chief resigned on Tuesday, after being accused of involvement in the wire-tapping scandal.

But Muamer Pajaziti, a Macedonian professor on European integration at Pristina University, said the resignations were only "a survival manoeuvre" by an increasingly unpopular government.

"The opposition and the public will not accept it as a solution. There is a critical mass for change led by the opposition. Slowly, on a larger scale, there are preparations for a broad anti-government coalition," Pajaziti told AFP.

Ethnic Albanians make up about one quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million population.

Macedonia obtained EU candidate status in 2005, but is yet to begin accession talks.

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