The Macedonian government lost its majority in Parliament Thursday in a dispute over the country's main languages, sending the country's governance into crisis. ( dpa )
The Party of the Albanians (DPA) pulled out its minority weight from the coalition government, saying they were dissatisfied with the language policies of the government.
The DPA party leaders formulated the withdrawal in the capital of Skopje, saying that their Albanian language continued to be relegated to second place among the official languages, despite promises otherwise.
Macedonia's 2.1 citizens include a majority of Slavic Macedonians, and about one-quarter Albanian Macedonians.
Under the Macedonian constitution, the Slavic Macedonians could form a minority government. Early parliamentary elections could also provide a way out of the crisis.