Ministers and government officials from the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), a junior coalition partner in North Macedonia's government led by the Social Democrats, tendered their resignations amid the crisis over EU-required constitutional amendments.

The changes concern the inclusion of ethnic Bulgarians in the constitution, as demanded by Bulgaria as a condition for North Macedonia to advance towards EU accession. 

The readiness of the DUI to leave the government was initially disclosed by Foreign Minister, Bujar Osmani, immediately after a leadership meeting between PM Dimitar Kovacevski and opposition VMRO-DPMNE's leader, Hristijan Mickoski, which took place at the beginning of June.

The resignations have been officially confirmed through social media. The written resignation letters have been submitted to Kovacevski, DUI's leader Ali Ahmeti confirmed.

However, resignations will only be executed upon the agreement to and subsequent vote in favour of the constitutional amendments in the parliament by VMRO-DPMNE, which strongly opposes the changes.

In a letter addressed to Kovacevski, Ahmeti stated: "We, the ministers and government officials from the ranks of the DUI, are resigning from the positions we currently hold. The resignations, are automatically effective at the moment when the opposition votes for the constitutional amendments."

The letter also shed light on the critical phase North Macedonia finds itself in, particularly considering the challenges faced in the EU integration process.

As a junior coalition partner, DUI holds seven ministers in key positions.

Following the resignation announcement, VMRO-DPMNE welcomed the decision, said the resignations had to be irrevocable and called for snap elections.

"It is significant that after 20 years in power, DUI is now prepared to transition into opposition, where they can be held accountable for any alleged crimes and have an opportunity to prove their innocence. This paves the way for swift elections, as any further delays or political maneuvering at the expense of the state and the citizens' future would be counterproductive," VMRO-DPMNE said in a statement.

Bulgaria had previously vetoed North Macedonia's EU accession due to concerns related to language, history and culture. However, Bulgaria lifted its veto, leading to the first intergovernmental conference taking place in July 2022. The start of EU accession talks, marked by the second intergovernmental conference, depends on North Macedonia's ability to meet Bulgaria's demands.