Zoran Zaev submitted his resignation as Prime Minister to the Parliament this afternoon. Zaev is resigning after the major defeat his SDSM party suffered in the local elections in October, and after the complete collapse of his signature foreign policy pledge – that by making concessions with its national identity, Macedonia will be allowed to open EU accession talks. Previously Zaev resigned as SDSM party leader, and now plans to install his successor to that position, little known former telecom executive Dimitar Kovacevski, as the next Prime Minister.

Curiously, Zaev chose not to address the Parliament and detail his decision to resign. He made his move on the day President Stevo Pendarovski had his annual address to the Parliament, and simply posted a photograph of himself leaving the Government building on his social media accounts.

Shortly after, the Government issued a clumsily written statement with political comments from Zaev, which include a warning to his party.

With my resignation I want to assume responsibility and leave an example how to recognize virtuous decisions what that is necessary and also to give another contribution to the development of the democratic capacity of the people, but also that future leaders will be aware of their civic responsibility when they take over the care of the country. Because democracy also means responsibility. I did tis so that we can continue to develop our Western European idea and the progressive concept of the country to create conditions to refresh and strengthen itself and not to allow to be defeated at the national level – so that the modern democratic forces can endure and continue to fight for the progress of North Macedonia – in the name of freedom, democracy, diversity, good-neighborly relations, NATO and for easier and faster start to our EU accession talks, the statement declares.

It is now up to President Pendarovski to award the mandate to a coalition that can put together majority in Parliament. Zaev believes that he shored up his coalition with DUI, a dozen smaller parties and now also the Alternative party, to get to 63-64 seats in Parliament that would give Kovacevski a narrow majority.