North Macedonian leaders agree to hold snap election on April 12

Leaders of major political parties in North Macedonia, including those in the ruling coalition, agreed to hold a snap parliamentary election on April 12 after the European Union failed to give the country a date to start talks on joining the bloc. 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday led a group of leaders who blocked opening talks with Albania and North Macedonia, despite concerns over increasing Chinese and Russian influence in the Balkans. 

On Sunday afternoon, North Macedonia's President Stevo Pendarovski called a meeting with party leaders to discuss further steps after Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Saturday called for a snap vote.

At the meeting, the party leaders agreed to hold elections on April 12, eight months ahead of the end of the current term. 

According to the law, Zaev will now have to step down from the post of the prime minister...