North Macedonia: Finance official tapped to become next PM

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s ruling Social Democrats have elected Dimitar Kovachevski as the new party leader and he is set to take over as prime minister if a coalition agreement remains intact. Kovachevski replaces Zoran Zaev, who stepped down in the wake of a heavy defeat in mayoral and local government elections in late October. Zaev, who had served as party leader since 2013 and prime minister since 2016, has promised to resign as head of the government in the coming weeks. He had to renegotiate coalition agreements with parties from the country’s ethnic Albanian minority to avoid a snap general election.