OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier sees elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as an important step for further reforms

BERLIN, 12 December 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a statement today said he considered the elections that took place in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 11 December 2016 to be “an important step to settle the continued political crisis in the country.” Steinmeier noted that the International Election Observation Mission found in its statement, as presented today in Skopje, that the election proceeded without major incidents.

Steinmeier continued to say: “Now it is important that the government will be formed quickly and that this government will then use its mandate to bring forward the reforms that are so urgent. The country needs swift and convincing progress on issues such as rule of law and the judiciary, public administration as well as freedom of expression and the media. The Special Prosecutor’s Office must be able to continue its work of investigating cases of abuse of power and launching criminal proceedings without restrictions. This is a prerequisite for rebuilding the public’s confidence in the institutions of their country.”