Skopje, 29 April 2026 (MIA) - The Parliament on Wednesday passed amendments to the Law on Government in a fast-track procedure, under which the caretaker government model will be terminated after the next parliamentary elections. The so-called Przhino-government was rolled out as an ad hoc solution for the 2016 elections and as a mechanism that will guarantee fair and democratic elections by including additional ministers proposed by the opposition in the 100 days before the elections.

Out of 81 MPs present at Wednesday's session, 70 voted in favor, 11 voted against and there were no abstentions.

MPs from the ruling party and opposition engaged in a heated exchange. According to MPs from the ruling majority, the caretaker government is an outdated solution, whereas the opposition believes that democratic elections are not possible if it is terminated.

"Let's stop treating Macedonian democracy as a patient on life support and show that it can and it does function democratically. We are passing the law for the sake of institutional stability in the future, so that we do not remain stuck in the Przhino labyrinth. The caretaker government was an ad hoc solution to get out of the crisis in 2015. After 11 years, we must show that we are capable of fair elections, without artificial Przhino models," said Nikola Micevski, coordinator of the VMRO-DPMNE parliamentary group. He asked the SDSM MPs why they need a protective mechanism if they are sure of winning the next elections, when the caretaker government will be in effect for the last time.

Vlen MPs also said that the caretaker government should be terminated. MP Adnan Azizi called it a “remnant of a bad past”.

SDSM MP Jovanka Trenchevska said that the caretaker government was proposed only for the 2016 elections, but in 2018, she noted, at the request of VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, in opposition at the time, it was agreed through consultations to draft a law by which the caretaker government would be valid until the country joins the European Union.

ZNAM MP and Minister of Public Administration Goran Minchev said in response that SDSM's ultimate goal is not to participate in the next parliamentary elections.

The coordinator of the SDSM parliamentary group, Oliver Spasovski, pointed out that the current law is a format agreed upon in Przhino and is the only legal solution stating that it is an agreement between the four largest parties in the Parliament, which does not exist in any other law.

LDP MP Monika Zajkova said that electronic voting should be introduced rather than paying extraordinary expenses, by the people, for additional ministers in the caretaker government.

The session was extended to allow for breaks and consultations because the coordinator of the DUI/European Front parliamentary group, Rina Ajdari, requested that the amendments be considered at a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Inter-Community Relations.

The Parliament did not support her request to suspend the session on the Law on Government if there is no Badinter majority vote.

In addition, the Parliament at its 98th session on Wednesday adopted several bills under a fast-track procedure, including amendments to laws on mineral resources, on concessions and public-private partnerships, public enterprises, and inland navigation. Debate on amendments to the Law on MPs, under which candidates must hold exclusively Macedonian citizenship, was postponed after the session was adjourned.

Photo: MIA archive