Brussels Officials: Caretaker Government Can’t Last ‘Forever’

Diplomats and senior officials in Brussels are closely following the election deal talks in Macedonia. They call for consensus, but reiterate that the caretaker government cannot last forever. “It’s reasonable to think about elections, there can’t be a caretaker government forever, but elections should certainly be held if conditions are met,” senior officials from the European Commission, which is currently fully focused on preparing the negotiating frameworks for Skopje and Tirana, comment for MIA. Both Brussels and other European capitals are aware that without a functional legislative home and democratically elected government, during a crisis, when substantial decisions need to be made, all parties should get seriously committed to the negotiations and agree on a date through consensus. The ODIHR says it is waiting for a decision so it can voice a stand on the observation missions, adding that it is in regular contact with authorities in Skopje in order to specify conditions for the activities of its observers. When it comes to domestic politics, Brussels would want to see progress in party negotiations, such as a more precise agreement on some timeframe.