site.btaUPDATED North Macedonia's Election Winner VMRO-DPMNE Starts Government Talks with Ethnic Albanian Coalition VLEN

The principles for forming the future government of the Republic of North Macedonia were agreed at Saturday's meeting between VMRO-DPMNE, which won the May 8 parliamentary elections, and the coalition of ethnic Albanian parties VLEN, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said on Facebook.

The underlying principles of the future government are European integration, accelerated economic development, fight against crime and corruption, and rule of law. Working groups will be formed to finalize the negotiations in the potential government coalition.

Mickoski posted photos showing that the talks took place in VLEN's headquarters in Skopje. Participating were the VMRO-DPMNE leader and deputy leaders, and the leaders of the ethnic Albanian parties making up VLEN - Arban Taravari, Izet Mexhiti, Bilall Kasami and Afrim Gasi.

Meanwhile, the media in North Macedonia are publishing speculations about the ministerial portfolios requested by the ethnic Albanian coalition.

Promptly after the elections, Mickoski said he saw himself as the mandate holder to form a government and VLEN as the preferred coalition partner.

Meanwhile, Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) Chairman Ali Ahmeti read out a joint political declaration signed on January 13 by the leaders of practically all ethnic Albanian parties in North Macedonia, including VLEN, in which they committed to cooperate only with political actors who agree to implement constitutional revisions to include Bulgarians in the constitution, the news media reported. Ahmeti announced the declaration at Saturday's meeting of the DUI-led European Front coalition.

The document says: "Taking into account the situation in the country and the duty we have towards the citizens, we feel obliged to declare that we are fully determined, now and in the future, to cooperate and govern together only with those political parties that agree to support the constitutional amendments as a condition for continuing the process of the country's integration in the EU," 360stepeni.mk said.

Ahmeti also said the European Front would be a pillar of peace, security and stability in the country because North Macedonia's place is in the EU.

The European Front coalition won the second largest number of seats in the new parliament, but VMRO-DPMNE prefers VLEN as its coalition partner. Both VLEN and VMRO-DPMNE argued during the election campaign that it was time DUI went into opposition after 20 years in power. DUI was a coalition partner first of VMRO-DPMNE and then of the Social Democratic Union (SDSM).