Calling the latest coronavirus reports “signs of collapse of public healthcare”, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party called on Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce to resign. The number of deaths from the pandemic rose to 700 yesterday, which is one of the worst death rates in Europe, and the pandemic shows no sign of abating.

Minister Filipce was predicting a death toll that would be eight times lower. He helped Zoran Zaev promote a policy of “new normal” and that led to the epidemic getting out of hand. The fault for the outcome is with him and the least thing Filipce can do is resign, VMRO said in its press release.

The opposition party accused Filipce of downplaying the epidemic just so that the SDSM party can stage early elections in July. The low turnout in the “corona elections” likely helped SDSM hang on to power but it also led to Macedonia having at the time two worst infection and death rates in the region.