The Parliament could not begin work today as three representatives from the ruling SDSM – DUI – BESA majority are sick with the coronavirus. Zoran Zaev was able to gather all his 62 representatives last week to vote confidence into his Government, but all other items are off the agenda, as just calling a session of Parliament requires 61 votes which is impossible for the “majority”.

Speakar Talat Xhaferi said that two of the sick members of Parliament are ordered into mandatory isolation while the third likely has the virus but his tests are pending. One of the items on the agenda is the new tobacco law which is needed to help the hard hit tobacco farmers who saw their harvest badly depreciate this year. The opposition VMRO-DPMNE party is likely to help provide the quorum for this issue, but not other items that the Zaev coalition wants to advance.