VMRO-DPMNE Vice President Aleksandar Nikoloski insists that early general elections will take place either together with the municipal elections in October, or soon after, when the extent of the VMRO victory over Zaev’s SDSM party is clear.

We are absolute favorites in the municipal elections. We see the main urban centers very dissatisfied with their current mayors. Nothing was done and the opposition offers solutions. There will also be general elections. The only issue is whether the country will have to pay twice to organize elections. The first option is to get SDSM to accept that we have the municipal and general elections at the same time. If not, after SDSM has lost the municipal elections, we will have early elections early next year, Nikoloski said.

The SDSM led coalition is on thin ice, with just 62 seats in the 120 seat Parliament. SDSM is often unable to even convene a session of Parliament without help from the opposition.