European Finance Commissioner Johannes Hahn, best known to the Macedonian public for his support for the Colored Revolution and the imposed name change in his previous role as Enlargement Commissioner, again urged Macedonians to make concessions on national issues – this time to Bulgaria – dangling the prospect of EU membership.

Visiting Skopje, Hahn called on all political parties to “cooperate” and to work toward the “ultimate goal. Hahn did bring some level of criticism against the Government, after the ruling majority greatly watered down the penalties for abuse of office, in an apparent attempt to use this as a bargaining chip to get the opposition to vote for the constitutional amendments.