The Friedrich Ebert foundation in Skopje organized a conference of social-democratic leaders from the region, which was seized by SDSM to again appeal to the Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti for help in the coming elections.

Kurti wants to have his populist VV party join the European socialist organization, where he’s counting on support from former SDSM leader Radmila Sekerinska (who might be having presidential ambitions in the coming elections). Sekerinska and SDSM leader Kovacevski were seen leaving a restaurant with Kurti and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani. The purpose of the meeting was likely to plead with Kurti not to support the growing bloc of Albanian opposition parties in Macedonia, who are challenging the DUI party domination over the Albanian vote and could destroy SDSM’s hopes to eke out a narrow win at the general elections against VMRO-DPMNE by fielding a joint list of candidates with DUI.

Last week Kurti welcomed the Albanian opposition leaders from Macedonia, including Arben Taravari, in Pristina, and DUI responded by trying to divide Taravari’s Alliance of Albanians party in two to prevent this growing threat to their power.