Zoran Zaev again reversed his position on holding early general elections should his candidate Stevo Pendarovski lose the presidential elections. In an interview in Bitola, Zaev said that he would win such elections, but that holding them would be “bad for the economy”.

Zaev initially agreed to hold the early general elections if opposition candidate Gordana Siljanovska beats Pendarovski, then reversed course, before eventually, in a debate with opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski, agreeing that a Siljanovska win would lead to early elections.

Siljanovska is on an impossible mission to bring us back to the dark past. I will act honestly toward the country. Mickoski has nothing to offer and has no vision. If I grant him early elections I will roll over him, Zaev said, before saying that he is reluctant to go that way because he doesn’t want to damage the economy.