North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev resigned on Sunday after his party, the SDSM (Social Democratic Union of Macedonia), lost the second round of mayoral elections in several towns in the country.

Hristijan Mickoski, the leader of the nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, has called for a snap election, but Zaev believes there is no need for one.

By law, the coalition, led by Zaev's SDSM, can form the government without a new vote if they agree on another candidate for prime minister. 

Prior to 2017, Zaev led the previous government of the former Yugoslav republic.

Later, he put the country on the path to joining the European Union and resolving a decades-old stand-off with Greece by adding "North" to its name.

Macedonia is the name of one of Greece's provinces and Athens blocked the independent state of Macedonia from entering both the European Union and NATO until it changed its name.

Newly named North Macedonia joined NATO in 2020.

Cover image: Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters