Tensions are growing in the Parliament as the SDSM led majority wants to hold a committee vote on the controversial new law for citizenship, which is on the wish list of the Albanian opposition parties. If adopted, the law would allow ethnic Albanians and others to claim Macedonian citizenship simply by presenting bills they received for utilities, and without the requirement of speaking the Macedonian language. Payment of some form of tax, or evidence of economic activity will also be admissible.

Dimitar Apasiev from the populist Levica party announced that he will prevent the Parliament committees from voting on the proposal. Albanian parties insist that there are tens of thousands of Albanians who live in Macedonia since the 1990-ies but have no citizenship, and Zaev, whose coalition is dependent on the Albanian vote, agreed to support to exceptionally lax proposed bill. The law is being advanced under a procedure that allows expedited debate and limits the ability of the opposition to slow it down, even though this procedure is meant only for laws that align Macedonia’s laws with those of the EU states, and this law is far removed from anything in force in the EU.