Skopje, 10 January 2025 (MIA) — A no-confidence vote against Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski was efficiently defeated on Tuesday in Parliament with 63 votes against, seven in favor, and no abstentions.

The motion of no confidence was moved by the European Front accusing Interior Minister Toshkovski of discriminatory behavior on ethnic grounds in the events of Nov. 28, failure to guarantee equality and security for all citizens, unfairness, and rhetoric that deepens ethnic division.

According to European Front MP Elmi Eziri who elaborated on the motion, the interior minister was not performing his duties and needed to take responsibility.

In response to the motion, which was mostly based on the Nov. 28 flag desecration incidents, Toshkovski said anyone who burned a state flag or a flag of any ethnic community would be held accountable.

"Anyone who has done wrong will be held accountable, and anyone who burns a flag of any ethnicity, and there is evidence of this, will end up in prison. This is not a threat," he said, adding that the Macedonian who had burned the Albanian flag was taken into custody as were the three Albanians who burned the Macedonian flag.

MP Pavle Arsoski from the ZNAM Movement said the ethnic relations were unharmed and the problem was DUI, now that the party wasn't in power for the first time in 20 years.

According to Arsoski, the motion was "full of untruths, twisted claims and spin" to distract authorities from their fight against crime and corruption in the country.

He also said both Toshkovski and his deputy, against whom the European Front also moved a no-confidence motion, were doing their jobs well. mr/