2024-05-09 01:08:15
The opposition VMRO-DPMNE about to win the 2 in 1 election
A historic 2-to-1 election decided on Wednesday the path North Macedonia will take for at least the next 4 years – intensifying anti-Bulgarian rhetoric or moving closer to EU membership.
Election day started at 7 am and lasted until 7 pm local time (20 h nashe – b. r.) and proceeded without incident. A total of 1.8 million North Macedonians had the right to vote, and in order to elect a president, the runoff requires at least 40% of the population to go to the polls. By 5 p.m. local time, just over 42% had already voted – i.e. surely a winner will be announced after the ballots are counted. 17 parties are fighting for a place in the parliament.
The main battle for the presidential chair is between the current head of state Stevo Pendarovski from the Social Democratic Union (SDSM) and Gordana Silyanovska from the Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE). They are meeting in a presidential runoff for the second time.
In the first round in April, Siljanovska beat Pendarovski by almost double the result – 40.08% to 19.93%, which was 180,000 votes. Even then, analysts predicted that she would emerge victorious after the runoff on May 8. The triumph of the VMRO-DPMNE party, which was the opposition for 7 years, is almost certain.
Stevo Pendarovski defends the thesis that the changes in the country’s constitution which
affect the entry in Bulgarian community,
must be done in order to be able to use the “open window” for the enlargement of the EU with the countries of the Western Balkans. In his election campaign Gordana Silyanovska emphasized anti-Bulgarian rhetoric and defense of nationalist views. It accepts the negotiation framework for EU membership, but not the condition for the inclusion of Bulgarians in the basic law. According to her, it was most reasonable to wait for the elections for the European Parliament, as well as those for the Bulgarian government, which are 2 in 1 on June 9.
In previous campaigns, Pendarovski also emphasized anti-Bulgarian rhetoric, but not to this extent.
None of the participants in the first round for the presidential candidate called on their voters to support any of the remaining in the fight. This is a common practice in North Macedonia, but around the world this is exactly how the scales are tipped in a certain direction.
Many of the ethnic Bulgarians in the neighboring country threatened not to vote because of the anti-Bulgarian attitude of the politicians.
“North Macedonian spins in a circle for 30 years, anti-Bulgarian circle
It is hypocritical for them to claim that they want to be a member of the EU and start negotiations. Bulgaria is part of the EU, and when you speak against it, you speak against the union,” Atanas Velichkov told local media.
In the parliamentary elections, two main formations fought for the votes of the ethnic Albanians – the “European Front” coalition, headed by the Democratic Union for the Integration of But Ahmetiand “Deserves” coalition, on Arben Taravari.
Immediately before election day, there was talk of
possible boycott in the elections for president
by the Albanians. Officially, however, one cannot speak of one. However, there was a serious outflow of Albanian voters. According to official data, as of 3 p.m., their voter turnout is nearly 4 times lower than that of the parliamentary ones.