Prime Minister Zoran Zaev refused to meet with officials from the State market inspection service (DPI), who are protesting his decision to replace their director Stojko Paunovski.

Zaev called on Paunovski to resign after he refused to distribute 35 employees who are being transferred to DPI from the program to increase employment of Albanians in the public service. Over 1,200 such employees who have been hired on paper for a decade but were never actual job assignments are now being transferred to various public institutions.

Paunovski, who comes from Tetovo where his family faced an attack by ethnic Albanians several years ago, refused to admit these new inspectors, saying they are not qualified for the sensitive task which includes inspecting product safety.

Zaev said that Paunovski is his personal friend but that he will not accept insubordination, even though the institution he leads is nominally independent from the Government. Zaev’s deputy, Artan Grubi, who is tasked with advancing Albanian national interests in the Government, demanded the removal of the DPI head.

But the move prompted supportive comments for Paunovski, as well as protests from within the institution. A committee of DPI employees told Telma TV that they have gathered signatures in support of their director and will continue to demand a meeting with Zaev.