Crucial elections in North Macedonia

North Macedonia is preparing for parliamentary elections and presidential run-off elections scheduled for Wednesday as 1.8 million registered voters prepare to participate in the democratic process.

In the parliamentary elections, voters will elect 120 members to the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, a unicameral parliament, for a four-year term.

Also, they will decide between Stevo Pendarovski and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova for the next president.

Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE coalition, performed strongly in the first round, receiving more than 41% of the vote and positioning herself as the frontrunner.

If she is successful in the second round, she will become the first female president of North Macedonia.

Incumbent President Pendarovski, representing the ruling left-wing Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM), faces an uphill battle after the first round results.

The main electoral blocs, “For a European Future” and “Your Macedonia,” led by SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE, dominate the political landscape. These coalitions primarily represent ethnic Macedonians and other minorities.

The two coalitions “European Front” and VLEN (“Worth”) are competing to represent the Albanian minority, which makes up a significant part of the population, about a quarter of the 1.84 million population.

Challenges ahead for N. Macedonia

Amid the electoral turmoil, North Macedonia is grappling with issues such as corruption, which has long been an obstacle to its EU aspirations.

Both the EU and the U.S. have identified corruption as a widespread problem and the opposition has emphasized it as a key campaign theme.

The leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, condemned the ruling coalition for the corruption allegations and acknowledged his party's tainted past.

SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski vowed to crack down on corruption and support anti-corruption measures.

Long path for EU

The resolution of the longstanding name dispute with Greece paved the way for North Macedonia to join NATO, a significant milestone achieved in recent years.

However, the path to EU membership has encountered a new obstacle in the form of Bulgaria's blockade, which demands constitutional recognition for its Bulgarian minority.

The accession of North Macedonia to the E.U. has been a prominent agenda item in the bloc's enlargement plans since 2005.

This issue has become central to the electoral campaigns of both presidential candidates and their respective coalitions. While both sides endorse the idea of constitutional recognition for the Bulgarian minority, nuances in their approaches could have significant implications for North Macedonia's European aspirations.

A consensus has emerged that any constitutional amendments regarding the recognition of the Bulgarian minority should be contingent upon North Macedonia's official accession to the bloc.

President Pendarovski and the SDSM-led alliance remain committed to advancing North Macedonia's EU accession process, emphasizing that their successful efforts in securing NATO membership are a testament to their commitment to the country's European integration.

Once again, as North Macedonia enters the electoral process, the results will not only shape its internal governance but also influence its trajectory toward membership in the EU. Corruption and constitutional reforms remain important issues in its journey toward European integration.

Source: Newsroom