SDSM party leader Zoran Zaev again insisted that the early elections must take place in June, before the summer starts. Zaev announced that he will go ahead with elections without the opposition if the VMRO-DPMNE party refuses to accept his preferred date in June.

We want elections in which the opposition will participate. We have a strong democratic capacity and as before we will do everything to make the opposition assume responsibility, not like before when SDSM was informed over TV when elections will take place. Of course, if VMRO-DPMNE decides to stall this necessary democratic process, we will have no choice but to respect the legal deadlines for the elections, Zaev said.

He insists that the elections must take place 22 days after his loyalist, President Stevo Pendarovski, lifts the state of emergency, which as things stand now will likely happen at the end of June. VMRO insists that no such legal requirement exists and that given the unprecedented situation with the coronavirus, the main parties should come to a mutually acceptable election date.