Speaker Talat Xhaferi forwarded the proposal from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party to hold a vote on ratifying Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol to the Government. VMRO is proposing that the vote is held now, without waiting for Spain to complete the final ratification of the protocol, as any delays due to the Spanish political crisis could then affect Macedonia’s early general elections scheduled for April 12th 2020.

The Parliament is supposed to be dissolved on February 11th, and if Spain ratifies the protocol after this date, Macedonia will not have a Parliament to complete the process at least until after the elections on April 12th. Outgoing Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, whose SDSM party is trailing in the polls in light of its many corruption scandals and the failure to open EU accession talks, has used this prospect as a reason why the elections may have to be postponed. VMRO cites the example of Montenegro, which completed its NATO ratification protocol ahead of several member states as proof that there is no need to wait for Spain and put the elections in jeopardy.