MEPs have expressed concern over an increase in homophobic incidents in Macedonia.
Last Sunday, a young gay rights activist was attacked in the country's capital Skopje and on Monday Alen Shakiri, the head of the campaign organisation LGBT United Macedonia, was violently attacked on a street.
In the past month several Macedonian politicians have also made public statements against LGBT rights.
On 12 October, Minister for Labour and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski stated that same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry and children must be raised only be opposite-sex parents.
Ulrike Lunacek MEP and Co-President of the European Parliament's LGBT Intergroup, said:
"As the European Commission noted again this year, Macedonia still falls short of EU standards on anti-discrimination based on sexual orientation. I addressed the parliament in Skopje two years ago, pleading for a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. I am sad to see that inequalities don't only persist, but intolerance is on the rise as well."
Michael Cashman MEP, the other Intergroup Co-President, added to Ulrike Lunacek's remarks by saying:
"Political leaders-and the minister in charge of anti-discrimination in particular!-should know better than to make derogatory comments, especially in public. Macedonians are worth more than this scaremongering."
In 2011, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, (ILGA-Europe), rated Macedonia as the worst country in the Balkans in terms of legal protection for LGBT citizens.