North Macedonia to hold elections on July 15 despite pandemic

In March, the EU said membership talks could begin with North Macedonia and Albania. A transitional government had initially scheduled a snap parliamentary election for April 12 but postponed it due to the coronavirus which so far infected 4,157 people and killed 193.

North Macedonian political parties agreed on Monday to hold parliamentary elections on July 15, despite a persistent level of coronavirus infections, a move seen as a crucial step for the country's EU membership bid. The elections in the landlocked Balkan country and newest NATO member will also be a test of support for the pro-EU policies of the Social Democrats of former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

After talks with Kristijan Mickoski, the head of the main opposition and nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party, Zaev said the country needed a functional government before the autumn when Macedonia must focus on recovering from the pandemic which may also return in force. North Macedonia's economy is forecast to contract 3.5% this year and is expected to return to growth in 2021.

"We cannot bear a bigger crisis than this with a technical government and without a parliament," Zaev told reporters. Zaev resigned in January after the European Union refused to set a date for accession talks. In March, the EU said membership talks could begin with North Macedonia and Albania.

A transitional government had initially scheduled a snap parliamentary election for April 12 but postponed it due to the coronavirus which so far infected 4,157 people and killed 193. Last week, North Macedonia lifted a state of emergency introduced in March to contain the outbreak.