The Social Democrats have been in power in Skopje for seven years, but many voters felt that they did not perform well, incompetently, and corruptly. As a result, the right-wing opposition has won the parliamentary and presidential elections in North Macedonia. VMRO-DPMNE received 43.1 percent of the vote and will have 59 mandates in the 120-seat parliament, replacing the social democratic SDSM.
The Social Democrats suffered a bitter defeat, losing more than half of their voters. With almost half of the seats in the new parliament, the right-wing opposition is now in a comfortable position to choose their coalition partner. Opposition supporters celebrated in Skopje’s streets while VMRO boss Mickoski declared it a historic victory for the Macedonian people.
Mickoski campaigned on a confrontational course against neighboring countries if he had won an election victory. He also scored a clear victory in the runoff election for the office of head of state, with Bulgaria demanding North Macedonia mention its minority as a prerequisite for EU accession negotiations. The EU countries have the right to veto any progress made during negotiations.
The right-wing victory reflects disappointment among many with the ruling Social Democrats’ administration, nepotism, corruption, and economic decline were key issues that influenced voter turnout. The new government will face challenges maintaining EU negotiations and improving governance as they take over leadership positions like Mickoski as Prime Minister.
Overall, this election marks a significant shift for North Macedonia’s political landscape and sets up a new set of challenges for both parties involved.
