Politics of the Republic of Macedonia

Three candidates are running: the ruling SDSM-DUI coalition's Stevo Pendarovski, whose slogan is "Together forward"; opposition VMRO-DPMNE's Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova ("Justice for Macedonia, Fatherland is calling"); and Besim Blerim Reka, who represents a coalition of ethnic Albanian parties, whose slogan is, "Reka for the Republic."

Gordana Siljanovska has the nomination of the right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party for her presidential candidacy, but insists she is an independent thinker who cherishes the rule of law.

This was stated by Nikola Gruevski, the former Macedonian prime minister who has received asylum in Hungary.

A general program in the field of culture will be signed, reported NOVA TV. 

They will discuss the development of cooperation in various sectors, infrastructure and transport projects and the implementation of the Friendship, Neighborhood and Cooperation Treaty.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Zoran Zaev, who is visiting Sofia on February 4th, reported the Bulgarian National Radio. 

They will discuss the development of cooperation in various sectors, infrastructure and transport projects and the implementation of the Friendship, Neighborhood and Cooperation Treaty.

Macedonian lawmakers were set to hold a crucial debate on changing the country's name to settle a decades-long dispute with Greece, reported Radio Free Europe. 

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has backed changing the country's name to Republic of North Macedonia, and is pushing for approval in the debate scheduled for January 9.

Macedonia and Bulgaria's long-simmering dispute over the Macedonian language is threatening to boil over again, just as Skopje nears a resolution to its dispute with Greece over the name "Macedonia'', reported Radio Free Europe. 

About a month since his escape from serving a jail sentence in Macedonia, Hungarian news site 24.hu captured a short video footage of Nikola Gruevski in a restaurant in one of the wealthiest districts in Budapest.

President Gjorge Ivanov on Thursday denied having played any role in the violence in parliament on April 27, 2017 - or having planned to declare state of emergency and arrest opposition leaders.

A key defendant in the trial of those involved in last year's attack on the Macedonian parliament has claimed the ruling party organised the whole event from the eighth floor of its Skopje headquarters.

The defendant, Aleksandar Vasilevski "Ninja" said the entire event was prepared and coordinated by then high-ranking officials in the then ruling VMRO DPMNE party.