Crisis in the government coalition

Disagreements between coalition partners in the Government, DUI and SDSM, except for the referendum on the name settlement, have expanded into the legislature. The Democratic Union for Integration and SDSM can not agree on how to pass the law on the use of languages ​​and thus open opposition MPs to return to the Parliament, something that MEPs insisted on visiting Macedonia.

Social Democrats are asking to give time to the dialogue with the opposition VMRO-DPMNE and to find a common language about the law on languages, which for several months has become an obstacle to the normal functioning of parliament, while DUI insists on directly voting for the law, and the amendments to VMRO-DPMNE by the parliamentary majority to be interpreted as unconstitutional.

According to the available information, but also by Talat Xhaferi’s interview with Alsat M, disagreements are so high that some Social Democrats are considering not voting on this law. At the same time, Xhaferi appealed to the political parties, especially to the parliamentary majority, to find a way to unblock the work of the Parliament, because all legal steps that he could take as the head of the Parliament are exhausted. “It’s not the question of who did not keep their word. I am the Speaker of the Parliament and therefore I do not depend on anyone’s word, but I do depend on the procedures. It’s no coincidence that as the first person in parliament I have the right to assess what can happen at a plenary session and whether there is a parliamentary majority to vote. Despite the required number of MPs present in the Parliament, I should point out to political parties that something does not work, so in that direction I sent information to the parliamentary majority that there are MPs in the SDSM who have made a statement, and this they did not say it in direct communication. Based on the information I own, I came to the conclusion that there is a problem with the voting,” Xhaferi said, adding that at least 61 MPs should vote in order to pass this law, a figure that has no parliamentary majority for now.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, on the other hand, denies that the parliamentary majority is in crisis and contrary to Xhaferi’s assertion that everything is under control and that MPs from SDSM will vote on the law of languages. The lack of quorum, according to Zaev, was the main reason for the postponement of the 32nd plenary session in the Assembly.
Apart from the statements of Prime Minister Zaev and Speaker Xhaferi, the political parties are silent about this episode and do not give any explanation as to why the session was not held and what will happen with the law on the use of languages. However, the law on languages ​​was given a new term, that is, Speaker Speaker Talat Xhaferi gave political parties a week to reach a political agreement on the issue. Xhaferi did not rule out the possibility that if the SDSM and DUI agree on the next session, they would directly go to the polls to pass the law on the use of languages, without accepting consideration of 35,000 amendments submitted by opposition VMRO-DPMNE.

Some of the political analysts, however, are strongly critical of the political parties, and especially to the coalition partners in the government, DUI and SDSM. Adelina Marku through the social networks after a failed attempt to pass a law on the use of languages ​​in the Parliament, said that the political parties do not trust one another.

“Great mistrust among ethnic parties. I do not know how to interpret this otherwise. Distrust that is even greater than the price of the state itself. I spent half my life hoping this mistrust would be reduced. Missing trust, hope disappears. That mistrust seems to have become a strong factor over the state itself that generates recourse in Macedonia. This is about the law of languages. Expectations and patience are exhausted. This is not good,” wrote Marku.
Alajdin Demiri, meanwhile, considers the last failed attempt to pass a law on languages ​​shows that DUI is still in coalition with VMRO-DPMNE, and not with SDSM.

“The fact that Xhaferi did not immediately set up the voting law shows that there is a misunderstanding with VMRO-DPMNE and this difficult situation should be overcome together. The facts indicate that Talat Xhaferi did not need to treat the amendments, but in agreement with SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE, he agreed to discuss them. Only by bypassing the law on the use of languages ​​can this difficult phase be overcome for Macedonia and this is in line with DUI,” Demiri said. According to him, only if the vote on the law on languages ​​is postponed for another time, Macedonia can count on unblocking the work of the Assembly.

Blerim Ismaili