02/03/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 1 March, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn urged the political leaders of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), especially its president, Gjorge Ivanov, to respect the result of the elections on 11 December 2016. "We have repeatedly stated that all leaders of the country, including the president, must respect the outcome of the recent elections", Hahn said in a press release. "In a democracy, one must acknowledge parliamentary majorities, even if one doesn't like them", he added. Ivanov has refused to give the leader of the SDSM party, Zoran Zaev, mandate to form a government despite the SDSM obtaining the necessary support from the parliament for this (see EUROPE 11734). Hahn said he expected "all political leaders and institutions to let the democratic process run its course – in the interest of the country's citizens". (CG)