Tense arguments broke out during the second day of discussions in the Macedonian Parliament on the proposed SDSM – DUI led Government. The nominee for Prime Minister Zoran Zaev insisted to respond to all comments and objections raised by the VMRO-DPMNE and other critical members of Parliament, leading to chaotic scenes and a threat from Speaker Talat Xhaferi to suspend the discussion.

Igor Janusev from VMRO-DPMNE compared the proposed Government and its slogan to the popular top-shop telemarketing agency, saying that Zaev keeps promising to deliver “but wait, there’s more”, without ever meeting the original promise. “For three years we’ve been hearing his promises. We have 600 dead from the coronavirus, banks collapsing, the employees in the culture are left without salaries, no foreign investments, and they keep promising more”, Janusev said.

Zaev replied in similar vein, comparing VMRO-DPMNE to a mattress company, saying they “slept through the strategic decisions he made”. As both sides would get loud support from their members of Parliament, Xhaferi said that he will stop the unruly session if it continues.

This is a legislative body. The nominee is here to defend the policies of the Government he is proposing, not to attack every member of Parliament who criticizes him. This is becoming the theater of the absurd, said professor Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova, elected on the VMRO-DPMNE ticket, warning Zaev that he is turning the parliament into a mockery of itself. “I’m ashamed for my students who intern here, the embassy representatives are laughing at us”, the elder professor said.

The “debate” is expected to end before midnight when a vote will be held. Zaev expects to have 62 votes – with 61 being the bare minimum needed to form a Government.