During the evening of Thursday 27 April, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn strongly condemned the attacks on members of the parliament of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
"The acts of violence in the Parliament are wholly unacceptable and we call for calm and restraint", Mogherini and Hahn stated in a joint press release, saying that the Interior Ministry and police must ensure the security of the Parliament and its members. "Democracy must run its course", they added, at a time when around a hundred protesters have stormed the Parliament to protest against the election of the Speaker of the Parliament in a vote they consider unjust. Mogherini and Hahn "take positive note" of the election of Talat Xhaferi as Speaker of the Parliament.
"The European Union is convinced that political dialogue in the institutions is the only way forward and we urge all political actors to honour the Constitution of the country and act in the spirit of democratic principles, decency and common sense", Mogherini and Hahn said, adding that the European Union is ready to work with the Parliament on the necessary reforms to move FYROM forward on its European path.
Several diplomats from the member states have also condemned the attacks on the Parliament. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)