Social Democrats

The junior ruling ethnic Albanian party in North Macedonia has reacted with dismay to the announcement of a new election alliance between its senior partner and another ethnic Albanian party.

A senior official from the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, said the new agreement between the Social Democrats and BESA would only damage the Albanian vote in the April general elections.

Denmark has to limit the number of migrants from non-Western countries it accepts, the opposition Social Democrats said, quoted by news agencies. The organization presented a project to reform the country's migration policy to reduce the number of foreigners from non-Western countries.

Police arrested the five people at their homes on Tuesday on suspicion that they were accomplices to the attempted murder of MP Zijadin Sela.

With a month to go until Germans head to the polls, Angela Merkel looks set to cruise to a fourth term as chancellor of a country showing little appetite for change.

"Merkel or Merkel -- is that Germany's only choice?" the nation's main Sunday talk show asked, as opinion surveys showed Merkel's conservatives widening their lead over the rival Social Democrats.

The leaders of Albanian parties in Macedonia - now part of the government led by Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev - gathered on Wednesday in Skopje to make sure the so-called "Albanian platform" becomes part of the new government's agenda.

The Social Democrats' vice president Radmila Shekerinska and the party's secretary general Oliver Spasovski are almost sure candidates for key ministerial posts in the new government led by the Social Democrat head Zoran Zaev, BIRN has found out.

BELGRADE - Montenegrin lawmakers have approved a new pro-NATO government led by Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, a former head of intelligence and a close ally of longtime leader Milo Djukanovic.

The vote on November 28 came as Markovic pledged that his government would complete, by the end of 2017, the years-long process of Montenegro's integration into NATO.

Photo: RTS

BELGRADE - Montenegro's president has named a former head of intelligence as the prime minister-designate who will try to form a new government.

Dusko Markovic is also the deputy leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists and one of the most trusted allies of Milo Djukanovic, the outgoing prime minister and longtime leader of the party.

After several breached deadlines, Macedonia's warring parties on Friday reached an agreement on the appointment of several interim ministers and deputies from the ranks of the opposition.

The appointments were envisaged in the EU-brokered crisis agreement reached this summer that foresees several reforms being undertaken before early elections in April.

Germany's cabinet has approved a bill setting a minimum wage in the country.

A fixed national threshold of EUR 8.50 per hour is due to be fully in force from 2017, with partial introduction as early as January 1, 2015, DPA news agency has reported.