Several thousand people marched through the Macedonian capital on Tuesday for the eighth day running, protesting at President Gjorge Ivanov's decision to halt a probe into top politicians embroiled in a wire-tapping scandal.
The protesters marched throughout central Skopje carrying placards reading "No justice, no peace" and "Ivanov resign." Smaller protests were also held in other towns.
The two-year-long political crisis in the landlocked Balkan country ratcheted up a gear a week earlier, when Ivanov announced a decision that would protect more than 50 public figures from possible prosecution.
Those amnestied include the president's ally, former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, and the head of the main opposition, Zoran Zaev.
The move was also condemned by the European Union and United States. Observers saw it as damaging to Macedonia's ambitions to draw closer to the EU and Washington.
The ambassadors of EU countries met Ivanov on Tuesday, the EU's representative in Skopje, Aivo Orav, said in a tweet.
"Pardons undermine accountability and rule of law. What future for the country and its Euro-Atlantic integration?", the tweet said, without giving details of the talks.
The EU has invited Macedonian leaders to talks in Vienna Friday on ending the drawn-out crisis.
Gruevski's ruling VMRO-DPMNE conservative party has accepted the invitation. The opposition Social Democrats (SDSM) have yet to announce if their leader Zaev will join the talks.
Several thousand people marched through the Macedonian capital on Tuesday for the eighth day running, protesting at President Gjorge Ivanov’s decision to halt a probe into top politicians embroiled in a wire-tapping scandal.
The protesters marched throughout central Skopje carrying placards reading “No justice, no peace” and “Ivanov resign.” Smaller protests were also held in other towns.
The two-year-long political crisis in the landlocked Balkan country ratcheted up a gear a week earlier, when Ivanov announced a decision that would protect more than 50 public figures from possible prosecution.
Those amnestied include the president’s ally, former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, and the head of the main opposition, Zoran Zaev.
The move was also condemned by the European Union and United States. Observers saw it as damaging to Macedonia’s ambitions to draw closer to the EU and Washington.
The ambassadors of EU countries met Ivanov on Tuesday, the EU’s representative in Skopje, Aivo Orav, said in a tweet.
“Pardons undermine accountability and rule of law. What future for the country and its Euro-Atlantic integration?”, the tweet said, without giving details of the talks.
The EU has invited Macedonian leaders to talks in Vienna Friday on ending the drawn-out crisis.
Gruevski’s ruling VMRO-DPMNE conservative party has accepted the invitation. The opposition Social Democrats (SDSM) have yet to announce if their leader Zaev will join the talks.
