Agriculture Minister Arijanit Hoxha today submitted his resignation. His BESA party is leaving the Zaev coalition and joined the opposition bloc in the attempted vote of no confidence, only to have one of its members – Kastriot Rexhepi, apparently kidnapped yesterday to prevent him from voting.

My resignation is a moral act and a sign of respect for the decisions of the BESA movement. What happened in the Parliament yesterday was shameful. BESA wants to be part of a Government, but not at any price, Hoxha said.

It’s not clear whether Zaev will have enough votes to name a replacement. He is likely to offer Hoxha’s seat and other positions in the Government to the Alternative party, in an attempt to lure them from the opposition bloc into his coalition. That would help him close the gap made by BESA’s decision to leave the coalition and keep a very slender majority.