Macedonia’s main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE held a rally in the capital Skopje on November 28 seeking the resignation of the government led by Social Democrat Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, which protesters accused of poor governance.

The protest was held before the upcoming parliament session scheduled for December 2, when the vote on constitutional changes related to the name deal with Greece will take place. Under the agreement, the country should change its name to North Macedonia, which will unblock Macedonia’s EU and Nato integration processes. VMRO-DPMNE is against the constitutional changes even though the party says that it aims to bring the country into both the EU and Nato.

Several thousand people participated in the march, which was led by VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski. The protest started at the party’s headquarters in downtown Skopje and ended at the government building.

People shouted “We have one name” and “Resignation” during the protest.

VMRO-DPMNE’s executive committees announced last week that the party will start protests to put an end, as they said, to the “anti-national and criminal” government.

Mickoski said that with the protest, VMRO-DPMNE will launch a national, economic, social and educational, and comprehensive revolution against the government’s mismanagement, as well as the “economic and national crumbling”. The protests will continue in other cities.

VMRO-DPMNE accused the government of being responsible for poor governance, the bad economic situation, politically motivated court cases, and corruption.

The protest was also held against higher taxes, pollution in cities, persecution and political pressure.

Mickoski announced that anti-government protests in Skopje will be held each Wednesday in the coming period. He called for an early general election.

The first protest in Skopje was held on a symbolic day, the one year anniversary of when the Macedonian authorities arrested over 30 participants in the parliament violence of April 27, 2017, including VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers and supporters.

Over 100 people were injured in the violence, including the country’s current prime minister Zaev.

VMRO-DPMNE lost power in May 2017 after ruling Macedonia for 10 years under the leadership of former prime minister Nikola Gruevski. 

The protest took place amid a political and diplomatic scandal over Gruevski's dramatic escape from the country earlier this month to avoid serving a two-year prison sentence issued in a case related to the purchase of a luxury Mercedes with state money. Gruevski announced earlier this month that he is in Budapest, where he was granted asylum by the Hungarian authorities. He also faces several trials in other corruption and criminal cases. 

VMRO-DPMNE's new leader Mickoski, who was elected at the end of 2017, says he expects the party to win the upcoming presidential election due to be held in 2019, and also to topple the current government and win the next general election.