The recent parliamentary elections in North Macedonia have left the country feeling frustrated with the slow progress towards EU integration. Much of the blame for this stagnation falls on the poor administration of the Social Democratic government, which has made significant compromises for accession, including changing its name, with little to show for it.
The national conservative VMRO-DPMNE won a landslide victory in the elections, falling just short of an absolute majority. The party leader Hristijan Mickoski is now set to become the new head of government, replacing Dimitar Kovacevski’s Social Democrats. Despite efforts towards integration, including joining NATO, obstacles such as disputes with Bulgaria and questions of identity and recognition of Bulgarian minorities remain.
These issues are compounded by a lack of transparency in negotiations and trust issues that have hindered progress towards EU membership. The recent election results reflect discontent with poor governance and corruption, as well as frustration with a lack of progress in addressing these issues.
In addition to this, the Albanian coalition partner DUI has played a role in shaping North Macedonia’s political landscape. However, gains made by the united Albanian opposition have been significant in recent elections. The election winner Mickoski is not reliant on DUI to integrate North Macedonia’s Albanian minority population. Overall, these election results demonstrate frustration over slow progress towards EU integration as well as discontent with governance under the Social Democrats.