Public opinion in the former Yugoslav Republic is turning against Brussels because of its support for a proposed government coalition with Albanian parties backed by Tirana. Many fear the "Tirana platform" will lead to the eventual federalization and possible break-up of the country.

Earlier this week, the EU's Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn traveled to Skopje where he held talks with political representatives in a bid to contribute to a solution to the political deadlock there.

However, his visit was greeted with protests by an estimated 200,000 Macedonians in Skopje and other cities, in which demonstrators called on Hahn to "respect the will of Macedonia" and condemned the Tirana Platform, an initiative sponsored by the Albanian government to increase Albanian influence in Macedonian politics.