The Social Democrats governed in Skopje for seven years, but many voters felt they did so poorly, incompetently, and corruptly. As a result, the right-wing opposition won the parliamentary and presidential elections in North Macedonia. The right-wing nationalist VMRO-DPMNE received 43.1 percent of the vote and will have 59 seats in the 120-seat parliament, replacing the Social Democrats who had been in power since 2017.
With almost half of the seats in the new parliament, the right-wing party can choose their coalition partner. The Social Democrats suffered a bitter defeat with only 15.1 percent of the vote and 19 seats. Dimitar Kovacevski, the party leader, congratulated his opponent on the victory. The new head of government, likely to be VMRO boss Hristijan Mickoski, could take over from Kovacevski, who was prime minister until earlier this year.
Opposition supporters celebrated the victory in the streets of Skopje with car parades, honking horns, and fireworks. Many voters were disappointed with the ruling Social Democrats due to issues such as poor administration, nepotism, corruption, and an empty state treasury. The economic situation was dire, leading to mass emigration and a loss of qualified workers.
VMRO boss Mickoski campaigned on nationalist themes and promised a confrontational approach to neighboring countries like Greece and Bulgaria. This stance could complicate EU accession negotiations that have recently started with North Macedonia. Bulgaria has demanded constitutional changes related to its minority in North Macedonia, which could pose a challenge to the country’s EU aspirations.
In the presidential runoff, VMRO candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova emerged victorious, defeating the incumbent Stevo Pendarovski. The head of state in North Macedonia primarily serves a representative role. The political landscape in North Macedonia is undergoing a significant shift with the right-wing party coming to power after a long period of Social Democratic rule.