An attempt to bring Macedonia's main political parties together for European Union-hosted talks in Vienna on resolving a long-running political crisis has failed, a European Commission spokesman in the Austrian capital said on Thursday.
The EU delegation in Macedonia had invited the Macedonian parties for talks with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and three members of the European Parliament, but the main opposition party declined to take part.
"The conditions for the meeting were not met," the Commission spokesman in Vienna said.
Macedonia's crisis deepened last week when President Gjorge Ivanov pardoned 56 officials in connection with a wire-tapping scandal despite protests at home and abroad.
While several Macedonian parties were prepared to go to Vienna, the opposition Social Democrats said they would only take part in the talks if Ivanov annulled the pardons.
A party spokesman said the Social Democrats also wanted June 5 elections postponed until it was possible to hold a free and fair vote.
The pardons have led to days of street protests in Macedonia while the United States and other countries have urged Ivanov to reconsider his decision.