President of the Skopje City Council Trajko Slaveski insists that the institution can still function, even after the erratic behavior of Mayor Danela Arsovska, who broke with the VMRO-DPMNE party that had her elected.

To be honest, I did not expect things to escalate to this level. I’ve met different characters in my career and I managed to accommodate to her behavior so that we were able to work efficiently. I expect that the Council will continue to do so in the future, but now Arsovska will not be so comfortable, to have a stable majority in the Council. She’s now supported by just one Council member. The VMRO-DPMNE led majority will continue to support all proposals that were part of our program, that won us the elections, Slaveski added.

Most VMRO appointed officials in the key municipal institutions resigned and Arsovska staffed them with loyalists from the small GROM party that is siding with her, with personal friends and in some cases with DUI party officials.