VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski met today briefly with the DUI party leader Ali Ahmeti in the Macedonian Parliament. VMRO sources say that the meeting was initiated by Ahmeti, who previously met with Zoran Zaev.

Faced with the prospect of being sent off to the opposition, DUI officials gave Ahmeti the power to negotiate any necessary political outcomes with other parties – an indication that he may break ranks with SDSM and help topple Zaev’s coalition even after he initially strongly supported keeping Zaev as Prime Minister. Mickoski today initiated a vote of no-confidence in Zaev, which is set for Thursday. VMRO has the support of Albanian opposiiton parties, eager to drag down DUI and share the spoils in public offices and influence it has accumulated over the past almost two decades, but some of their members of Parliament are uncertain if they will support the vote of no confidence.