In North Macedonia, the ruling Social Democrats concede defeat to the nationalist party

The center-left Social Democrats (SDSM), in power, conceded their defeat, Wednesday evening, May 8, in the presidential and legislative elections in North Macedonia, against the nationalist party VMRO-DPMNE. “I congratulate our political opponent VMRO-DPMNE on his victory in the elections”declared Dimitar Kovacevski, outgoing prime minister and leader of the SDSM, even before the publication of the official results.

Fireworks erupted in the capital, Skopje, as news of an easy victory for the nationalists spread. The leader of VMRO-DPMNE and likely future prime minister, Hristijan Mickoski, has not yet given a speech. The VMRO-DPMNE presidential candidate, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, had already come well ahead in the first round, on April 24.

If confirmed, the return to power of the right-wing opposition in this poor Balkan country will notably revive tensions with neighboring Greece and Bulgaria, the latter country setting its conditions to advance the accession negotiations of the North Macedonia to the European Union (EU).

Promise of firmness against Bulgaria

Hristijan Mickoski has refused to recognize the country’s new name as North Macedonia, in line with a 2018 deal signed with Greece to end a long-running feud between Skopje and Athens. He also promised to show firmness in a standoff between his country and Bulgaria, which has blocked negotiations for North Macedonia’s membership in the EU over the past two years.

The Social Democrats had warned that the outcome of the elections would be decisive for the European future of North Macedonia. Wasted effort. “Citizens will have the last word on the direction the State will take”said former prime minister and SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski after voting.

Since taking the leadership of VMRO-DPMNE in 2017, Mr. Mickoski has rebuilt a party shaken after the flight of its former leader and ex-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, accused of corruption, who found asylum in Hungary led by Viktor Orban.

Mass emigration

Mr. Mickoski also promised to prioritize the economy and create tens of thousands of jobs, a message to which many voters in this poor country affected by galloping inflation are sensitive. Over the past two decades, North Macedonia has lost around 10% of its population due to mass emigration, with young people there having few future prospects.

During the campaign, Mr. Mickoski resorted to increasingly incendiary rhetoric against the DUI, the country’s main Albanian party, sparking fears that his remarks could jeopardize fragile inter-ethnic relations; Albanians represent more than a quarter of the population of 1.8 million. The leader of the DUI, Ali Ahmeti, led a short armed rebellion in 2001 to obtain more rights for his community.

Since the declaration of independence in 1991, successive governments of the former Yugoslav republic have respected an unwritten rule that an Albanian party must be included in a governing coalition. The DUI, along with a coalition of minority groups, appears able to capture the largest number of Albanian votes, even though Mr. Mickoski has called its leaders ” “thieves”.