▁December ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁in ▁T ear ce ▁and ▁G ost iv ar , ▁though ▁in ▁G ost iv ar ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁off ▁after ▁the ▁VM RO - DP ME ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit ▁against ▁the ▁decision , ▁and ▁in ▁T ear ce ▁the ▁outcome ▁was ▁un changed . ▁ ▁Although ▁V PRO - DP M NE ▁attempted ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁coal ition ▁with ▁B DI , ▁coal ition ▁tal ks ▁broke ▁down ▁in ▁late ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁After ▁that , ▁the ▁SD SM ▁purs ued ▁inform al ▁coal ition ▁tal ks ▁with ▁the ▁B DI , ▁though ▁as ▁of ▁late ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁coal ition ▁tal ks ▁were ▁fro zen ▁on ▁the ▁usage ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁language . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁elections ▁were ▁called ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁agreement ▁bro ker ed ▁by ▁the ▁European ▁Union ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁protest s ▁against ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Nik ola ▁Gr ue v ski . ▁The ▁demonstr ations ▁were ▁spark ed ▁by ▁the ▁wire t apping ▁sc andal ▁involving ▁high ▁ranking ▁polit icians ▁and ▁security ▁personnel . ▁From ▁ 2 0 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁a ▁trans itional ▁government ▁was ▁installed ▁including ▁the ▁two ▁main ▁parties , ▁VM RO - DP M NE ▁and ▁the ▁Social ▁Democratic ▁Union ▁( SD SM ). ▁A ▁new ▁special ▁pro sec utor ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁investigate ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Nik ola ▁Gr ue v ski ▁and ▁government ▁minister s . ▁According ▁to ▁the