MACEDONIA-CRISIS/EU-HAHN EU says brokers deal for early elections in Macedonia

Record ID: 150484

  • Title: MACEDONIA-CRISIS/EU-HAHN EU says brokers deal for early elections in Macedonia
  • Date: 2nd June 2015
  • Summary: SKOPJE, MACEDONIA, (JUNE 2, 2015) (REUTERS) EUROPEAN UNION RESIDENCE BUILDING WITH EU FLAG EU FLAG PLAQUE READING (English): "EUROPEAN UNION RESIDENCE" JOURNALISTS EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY AND ENLARGEMENT NEGOTIATIONS COMMISSIONER, JOHANNES HAHN, WALKING OUT / SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY AND ENLARGEMENT NEGOTIATIONS CO
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7YN8UO9NA3OOQY0ZROQ2D9LWE
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The European Union brokered a deal on Tuesday (June 2) for early elections in Macedonia, potentially ending months of political turmoil triggered by a raft of damaging wiretap disclosures against the government.
    Johannes Hahn, the commissioner overseeing EU expansion, announced the deal after some eight hours of talks in the capital, Skopje, with embattled Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his chief opponent, Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev.
    Hahn said political leaders, including those from Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority, had agreed to "a kind of transitional period" and early elections no later than the end of April 2016. Gruevski was re-elected last year to a new 5-year mandate.
    "We have agreed to see a...to see a kind of a transitional period and it was agreed that by the end of April next year there should be early elections ," Hahn said.
    Hahn gave few details and took no questions, but he said it would be "important to prepare the country" for elections, mentioning in particular changes to the electoral code, respect for minority rights and the independence of the judiciary.
    He said the deal would be finalised in Brussels next week.
    Hahn was flanked by Gruevski and Zaev, neither of whom spoke.
    Nine years in power, Gruevski has been under pressure since January over wiretap disclosures released by Zaev and which the West says have raised serious questions about the state of democracy in the ex-Yugoslav republic, a candidate for EU membership.
    Zaev says the wiretaps were collected illegally by the government, targeting 20,000 political figures, journalists and judges, foes and allies alike. They appear to expose tight government control over the media, courts and the conduct of elections.
    The government says the tapes were made by a foreign spy service working with Zaev to bring down the government. Zaev has been charged with "violence" against the state.
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