North Macedonia votes in parliamentary and presidential elections today, where the rightist opposition is anticipated to make gains against the ruling party.
This ruling party has faced criticism for its inability to advance discussions regarding EU accession and tackle corruption effectively.
While no pre-election polls have been released, the initial round of presidential elections last month hinted at a potential surge in support for the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, signaling voter discontent with the incumbent Social Democrats.
Analysts suggest that a resurgence of the right-wing could further impede progress in EU accession negotiations and add complexity to relations with neighboring EU states, particularly Greece and Bulgaria.
The electoral agenda on Wednesday encompasses both the run-off for the largely symbolic presidential position and the allocation of parliamentary seats.
Polling stations are set to open at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and close at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT).
The state election commission is expected to commence result announcements from 3,360 polling stations later in the day.
Hristijan Mickoski, the leader of VMRO-DPMNE, expressed confidence in a “convincing double victory” during statements to reporters this week.
In 2001, North Macedonia was pulled back from the brink of civil conflict by NATO intervention during an ethnic Albanian insurgency.
As part of the intervention, promises of accelerated integration into the EU and NATO were made.
Although the country, with a population of 1.83 million, successfully joined NATO in 2020, progress toward EU membership has been sluggish.
This delay is partly attributed to opposition from EU members Greece and Bulgaria.
The resolution of a long-standing dispute with Greece, which led to the renaming of the country from Macedonia to North Macedonia in 2017, was a significant milestone.
However, Bulgaria’s veto in 2020 over historical and linguistic issues has hindered further progress. Many North Macedonians view these objections as assaults on their national identity.
The International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES), based in Ljubljana, highlighted that a potential victory for VMRO-DPMNE could complicate EU negotiations, particularly due to the party’s opposition to the agreement with Greece.
IFIMES warned that the nullification and renegotiation of previously signed and ratified international agreements would result in substantial setbacks, potentially delaying the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations by decades.
North Macedonia’s upcoming elections carry significant implications for its domestic political landscape and its aspirations for EU integration.
The anticipated rise of the rightist opposition underscores widespread dissatisfaction with the ruling party’s performance on key issues such as EU accession and corruption.
Furthermore, the outcome of the elections may influence the trajectory of North Macedonia’s relations with neighboring EU members, particularly Greece and Bulgaria, and impact its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Image: By Juan Antonio F. Segal from Madrid, Spain – Skopje, Macedonia, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39531987
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