Macedonia PM to resign, opening door to elections

FYR Macedonia's prime minister Nikola Gruevski agreed to submit his resignation on 15 January 2016, following a European Union-brokered deal for an early parliamentary election to defuse months of political crisis. Mr Gruevski highlighted his departure would only be effective once the election was officially called.

European Commissioner Johannes Hahn was scheduled to visit Skopje on 15 January 2016.

The prime minister survived intense instability in 2015 after the opposition released details of phone-taps that they said exposed extensive government control over journalists and judges, meddling in elections and the appointment of party faithful to public sector jobs. Gruevski denied his government was behind the phone-taps and dismissed the allegations as a plot.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Statement by Commissioner Hahn and MEPs Vajgl, Howitt and Kukan: Agreement in Skopje to overcome political crisis http://www.europeansources.info/record/statement-statement-by-commissioner-hahn-and-meps-vajgl-howitt-and-kukan-agreement-in-skopje-to-overcome-political-crisis/

ESO: Background information: Politics in Macedonia has descended into a corrupt soap opera http://www.europeansources.info/record/politics-in-macedonia-has-descended-into-a-corrupt-soap-opera/

EUObserver, 15.01.16: Macedonia PM resigns, as EU comes to town https://euobserver.com/foreign/131851

EUObserver, 14.01.16: [Opinion] Macedonia: the EU's democratic dilemma https://euobserver.com/opinion/131798

Balkan Insight, 14.01.16: Macedonian Prime Minister Confirms His Resignation http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonian-prime-minister-resigns-01-14-2016

Deutsche Welle, 14.01.16: EU holds key to Macedonia political crisis http://dw.com/p/1HdeF

Deutsche Welle, 15.01.16: Macedonia Prime Minister Gruevski agrees to step down http://dw.com/p/1Hdz4

Balkan Insight, 15.01.16: Hahn Visits Macedonia to Push Through Crisis Deal http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/hahn-makes-key-visit-for-macedonian-crisis-deal-01-14-2016

EUObserver, 18.01.16: Hahn warns Macedonia of strategic difficulties https://euobserver.com/foreign/131872

EurActiv, 19.01.16: Macedonian opposition to boycott EU-mediated elections http://www.euractiv.com/sections/enlargement/macedonian-opposition-boycott-eu-mediated-elections-321089

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