After Prime Minister Zoran Zaev failed to organize a meeting of the leaders of top political parties, now President Stevo Pendarovski made a similar initiative. Opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski refused to attend the meeting proposed by Zaev, unless the main topic of discussion is holding early general elections, in light of the growing criminal and corruption scandals tied to the Zaev Government.

I would not want to undermine the Prime Minister’s initiative for a leadership meeting, but I believe that the proper place to hold such a meeting is with the President of the country. I want to be sincere. I believe that several issues, such as the future place of the Special Prosecutor’s Office in our judiciary or the census which is unfortunately being politicized, should be discussed with the President, Pendarovski said.

The Government faces a major crisis after Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, who was a big source of the legitimacy for Zaev and his SDSM party, was involved in a criminal conspiracy to extort money from businessmen who she threatened with criminal charges.