Some saw him as a hero, some as a traitor: Zoran Zaevi removed

By mid-January 2022, Northern Macedonia will have new Government, to be led by Dimitar Kovachevski, the new chairman of the Social Democratic League (LSDM).

At the top of the executive, he will replace incumbent Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

The government's resignation, Zaev, has warned on October 31st, following the deep defeat of the Social Democrat League in local elections.

He has claimed responsibility for the loss of LSDM in the face of opposition party, V MRO DPMNE, and has resigned from the party's leadership as well.

But his resignation has been delayed for nearly two months, as LSDM has also lost the parliamentary majority, due to the government's departure of Besa Movement.

To avoid early elections, Zaev has invited the other Albanian party, the Alternative, with which he has reached a coalition agreement.

On November 11th, he has also survived the no-confidence motion, initiated by VMRO DPMNE.

Dimitar Kavacevski, successor to Zoran Zaev

Mandatin for forming the new government, Dimitar Kovachevski takes it from Northern Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski within ten days after the Parliament announces the head of state with the decision it has ascertained the resignation of the Zoran Zaev government.

The mandate, according to the Constitution, must hand over the new government composition, which is voted by 61 MPs for approval in the country. The parliamentary majority numbers 64 MPs.

Besides the alternative, part of the government is the Democratic Union for Integration, the Albanian Democratic Party and some smaller Macedonian parties, which are part of the coalition with the LSDM.

VMRO DPMNE urges early elections

The Opposition, Now Made Up V MRO DPMNE, Alliance for Albanians and Movement Besa, says the new government, which is in formation, represents the continuation of the up-to-date government, according to it, unable to solve the problems facing the country.

The opposition demands technical government, with a mandate organising early parliamentary elections.

The early parliamentary elections are the only solution to exit from the situation in which the country is in deep political, economic, energy, diplomatic crisis... when we have again veto and block the integration process. The elections are not always the best solution, but they are necessary when we have the Government unable to face the challenges the country is going through, says V chairman. MRO DPMNE's Hristian Mickoski.

We demand that a technical government be formed in February or March, while early elections be held in May or June, when people will decide on the future of Macedonia [North]”, he adds.

Zoran Zaev, for some hero, for others traitor

Zoran Zaev, at the helm of the Social Democrat League, came in 2013, replacing former President Branko Crvenkovski in the post.

In 2015, Zaev, as leader of the opposition, has published what was known as the “The wiretaping gap”, which has highlighted numerous abuses of power by former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

As a result of the relationship, many senior officials, ministers, including the former head of government, Gruevski, have been tried for numerous criminal acts.

The hearing offer has led North Macedonia to early parliamentary elections in December 2016, but the shift of power was held in 2017, following dramatic developments involving violence in the Parliament on April 27th where it was also Zaev and representatives of the then opposition.

This event has given Zaev the advantage of the hero to a large number of people who have appreciated his role in changing Gruevski's power, who not only from the opposition but also from international representatives, is considered corrupt.

In the post of prime minister, Zaev has spent five years, while in advance, for nine years, has been chairman of Strumica, a town in southeast northern Macedonia.

Name Change, NATO Membership

The other achievement attributed to Zaev by his supporters, who have had international support, is resolving the nearly 30-year-old dispute with Greece over the name.

Because of this dispute, Northern Macedonia has been in NATO's waiting room since 2008.

With his personal commitment, together with then Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the name agreement has been reached. The Republic of Macedonia has become the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

By 2020, the country has also officially become a NATO member.

But the conflict solution has led the opposition and another group of people to give Zaev the identity of the traitor, saying he has betrayed national interests by giving up the country's constitutional name and ancient history”.

Dispute with Bulgaria

Despite the criticism, Zoran Zaev, after resolving the dispute with Greece, has launched efforts to resolve another dispute with Bulgaria, another northern Macedonia neighbouring country that has already blocked European integration.

Zaev is leaving the government, but convinced that his successor, Dimitar Kovachevski, will achieve the resolution of this dispute, which primarily concerns language-related issues, Macedonian identity and historical past.

Support and International Order

Zaev's government, viewed by the prism of the international position of Northern Macedonia, is partly successful.

Unlike his predecessor, Nikola Gruevski, who has received fierce criticism from the European Union and the United States in recent years of his rule, Zaev has had their support.

Several times she was in meetings, attended by former German cavalier Angela Merkel. In Paris it has been hosted by France's president, Emmanuel Macron, who has assured that North Macedonia deserves the start of EU membership negotiations.

In 2019, in Ohrid, Zaev received then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeii. / REL/