The first round of local elections in North Macedonia on Sunday confirmed VMRO-DPMNE as the strongest party in the country. Out of 80 municipalities, VMRO-DPMNE won 32 mayoralties outright, while the opposition Social Democratic Party of Macedonia (SDSM) won in only three.
Coalition of Albanian parties Vlen, which is a junior governing partner of VMRO, won five mayoralties, while the opposition National Alliance for Integration, gathered around the DUI party, won four.
The second round of the vote will be held in 33 municipalities on 2 November.
Prime Minister of North Macedonia and leader of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski described the results as a triumph.
“Tonight, Macedonia did not choose a party, but a direction. It chose values, it chose people who believe in work, not in words”, said Mickoski.
Venko Filipče, leader of the opposition SDSM, said that the election process was carried out peacefully, but added that the party had some complaints which it would submit to the relevant institutions.
“This result was not what we all wanted, but, given the circumstances, I would not say it is a bad result, because in one good part of the municipalities we have an increased number of votes compared to last year”, he said, adding that it is a sign of the party’s consolidation.
In the capital of Skopje, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Orce Gjorgjievski won 39% of the vote and proceeds to the second round. He will face Amar Mecinovikj of the left-wing Eurosceptic Levica party, who won 13%, just ahead of the Vlen candidate (12%) and SDSM candidate (11,5%).
“In the second round, we have a clear choice between two visions – one vision, which we have had for 35 years in Macedonia, which is old, corrupt and criminal, and the second vision, which is our vision, a vision which consists of the love for our city and a vision of a city in which we will all want to live”, said the Levica candidate Mecinovikj in a press conference following the first round.
VMRO won the mayoralties in the cities of Bitola, Prilep and Štip, while in the Albanian-majority town of Tetovo, the second round will be held between Vlen and NAI candidates.
In the second largest city of Kumanovo, the incumbent mayor Maksim Dimitrievski of the ZNAM party, a coalition partner of VMRO on the national level, won 38% of the vote and proceeds to the second round.
