Euro MPs Check Implementation of Macedonia Crisis Deal

The three MEPs - Ivo Vajgl, Eduard Kukan and Richard Howitt - are to arrive on Monday and have separate meetings with representatives of the four main political parties in Macedonia, aimed at ensuring that the crisis deal struck last summer is properly implemented.

They are expected to highlight areas that need more work ahead of the early general elections in April which are designed to get the country out of the deep political crisis.

"Their mission will be to pinpoint areas [of the agreement] where more work needs to be done. These include the cleaning up of the electoral roll [to eradicate fake voters], the freeing of media from the government's grip, allowing the special prosecutor [tasked with investigating wiretapping cases] to work freely, the judiciary and other things," a well-informed source close to one of the MEPs told BIRN.

The MEPs are expected to prepare the ground for a visit by EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is to arrive in Macedonia in Friday, European Commission spokesperson Maja Kocijancic told media.

Hahn's visit coincides with the January 15 deadline for Macedonia's embattled Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to step down ahead of the April polls.

It has been agreed that Gruevski will step down and allow his ruling VMRO DPMNE party to nominate an interim prime minister by January 15 as an additional guarantee that he does not interfere in the elections.

The MEPs' and Hahn's visits are also expected to clear up uncertainty over the exact date of the elections, which were initially set for April 24. 

In December, speculation multiplied about a possible postponement for one or even several months because of the unfulfilled tasks from the summer crisis accord.

The...