Send to Kindle
Hundreds of buses arrived in Skopje from all over Macedonia on Monday, carrying participants in the pro-government rally. Photo BGNES
A rally in support of embattled Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski started in Skopje on Monday evening – a day after a protest march organized by the opoposition nearby demanded his resignation.
Standing alongside Gruevski on a platform in front of Parliament building were former Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska and the Director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK) Saso Mijalkov. They resigned last week following the shooting in Kumanovo on 9-10 May, which claimed the lives of eight police officers.
Hundreds of buses arrived in Skopje from all over Macedonia earlier on Monday, carrying participants in the pro-government rally. The estimated turnout at the pro-Gruevski rally, organised by his VMRO-DPMNE party under the motto “Macedonia is strong”, was 30,000, according to AFP.
The organisers of Monday's rally claim that Macedonia is facing ''a directed attack aiming at destabilization'' of the country.
More than 20,000 opposition protestors marched through Skopje on Sunday and gathered in front of the government building to demand that Gruevski resign, accusing him of corruption, mass wiretapping and stirring ethnic tensions to hang onto power.
"Macedonia has been under intense attacks over the past months. Our reaction has not been what you would have expected but enough is enough. We’ll not keep silent any more,” Gruevski told his supporters.
He accused opposition Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev of playing into the hands of unnamed foreign spy agencies by publishing video recordings purportedly showing widespread illegal wiretapping of journalists, judges and popliticians by the government as well a cover-up of a murder of a young man by police.
Defiant Gruev said he would not resign.
“We shall not surrender… We are winning… We shall not allow strife to take place… Zaev shall never be a premier of this country,” Gruevski said.
Zaev and Gruevski are set to meet with EU officials in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday in a fresh bid to find a way for resolving the political crisis.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Opposition parties critical of President Maia Sandu's pro-European stance have joined forces in Moscow, forming a pre-election bloc with ambitions to contest upcoming presidential elections and a pivotal referendum on EU membership
National Assembly adopted at first reading two bills for amendments to the Railway Transport Acts
Boyko Borisov, leader of GERB, stated that if Kiril Petkov and Delyan Peevski opt to form a government, his party would serve as a strong opposition, as he would not form a government solely with DPS
Provisional results from Turkey's local elections reveal a remarkable surge for the opposition, marking a significant shift in the country's political landscape
Amidst the political fervor preceding the upcoming parliamentary elections in North Macedonia on May 8, VMRO-DPMNE, the main opposition party, has proposed a postponement of constitutional changes regarding the inclusion of Bulgarians
The chairman of the Macedonia Foundation, Victor Stoyanov, has raised alarm over an incident involving the reported assault of a Bulgarian citizen, Yane Murgoski, by Macedonian police in Ohrid
A damning report from the US State Department has unveiled a troubling reality of systematic racial and ethnic violence and discrimination against Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia
The debate surrounding the inclusion of Bulgarians in North Macedonia's constitution, a crucial precondition for the country's European Union accession talks, has taken center stage in the ongoing presidential campaign
Amid escalating tensions on its borders and a significant increase in the Ministry of National Defense budget, Romania is discreetly preparing for the reintroduction of compulsory military service
In a strategic move aimed at bolstering their defense capabilities, Romania and South Korea have embarked on negotiations for joint arms production, signaling a significant milestone in their bilateral relations
Romania is making strides toward joining the Visa Waiver Program, a significant milestone that would enable its citizens to travel to the United States visa-free for up to 90 days
The Romanian parliament has voted to impose stringent restrictions on the gambling sector, marking a significant shift in the country's regulatory landscape
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
