Zoran Zaev said Wednesday he will step down as prime minister early next week. After the resignation is approved in Parliament, he added he expects to be succeeded by the new SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski at the helm of the government.

These days we are finishing the consultations with the coalition partners. What I can say is that important processes are being completed, in terms of program and government and personnel-wise, so I will make the decision somewhere at the beginning of next week and as soon as I make it I will immediately announce when it will be formalized in front of the Parliament, Zaev told TV 24, after he handed over the position of president of the Social Democrats to the newly-elected leader Dimitar Kovacevski at SDSM’s main offices in Skopje.

He believes that early parliamentary elections are not needed for the country, ie the economy to grow and develop.