Tusk urges Macedonia to form new government

SKOPJE, Macedonia – European Council President Donald Tusk has urged political parties in Macedonia to form a new government and warned that the country’s extended crisis is hurting efforts to deepen integration with Western alliances.

Macedonia was thrown into political paralysis after the December election produced a hung parliament. Parties representing Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian minority demanded concessions to join any coalition — including making Albanian an official language beyond minority areas.

That demand triggered daily protests in Macedonia’s main cities for more than a month

The long-governing conservatives have refused to discuss the demands, while opposition Social Democrats have been denied a mandate by the country’s President Gjorge Ivanov.

After meeting Tusk Monday, Ivanov said his position remained unchanged.