Challenges of the First Female President of (North) Macedonia: Absolute Responsibility, but Not Absolute Power

Written for Kosovo Online by Zeljko Sajn

The first female president of the Republic of North Macedonia, Professor of Constitutional Law Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, took the ceremonial oath in the Sobranje, thereby assuming her presidential duties:

"I declare that I will perform the function of the President of Macedonia conscientiously and responsibly. I will respect the Constitution and laws and protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Macedonia."

During the oath-taking, the newly elected president omitted the word "North" from the constitutional name of the country, provoking various reactions: the VMRO-DPMNE party, which supported her in the elections, applauded this action, the SDSM party, which she defeated and sent into opposition, remained reserved, while the Greek ambassador in Skopje, Sofia Filipido, left the inauguration in protest, and the U.S. ambassador, Angela Ageler, personally congratulated the newly elected president warmly.

After the oath, the new president delivered a speech in the Sobranje, dedicating it to all women, stating that trust is very important and that she will do everything to justify it, and that the rule of law will make this country European, not the rule of individuals or the rule of men.

She emphasized that unity is now important for the country and that collective responsibility is necessary through the rule of law to the EU, prioritizing bilateral relations with neighbors, especially with Sofia, and understanding with neighbors on the common path towards the European family, which leads through Brussels.

It should be noted that the new president is a distinguished professor of constitutional law, an excellent connoisseur of comparative and international law, and a member of the Venice Commission. In domestic and international expert circles, she is considered a respected expert in the field of the rule of law. She also pointed out that only through the rule of law can her country fully achieve the Euro-integration process.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, first sent congratulations to the new President of North Macedonia, but in a separate message, she reminded that it is very important to respect the Prespa Agreement. On the other hand, representatives of the European Union seem to have forgotten that the respect for the Prespa Agreement, which they remind North Macedonia of, implies the admission of this country into the European family, which remains an empty promise.

Siljanovska Davkova also sent a message to the international public and the citizens of her country that she will respect the Constitution and the Prespa Agreement but that the identity and language of the people can no longer be touched, even through the Constitution. Although she lacks extensive diplomatic experience, it seems that with this act she made her first diplomatic move, and that world leaders will respect her at a high level, even though she comes from a Balkan country. The new president also addressed internal political pressures, emphasizing that certain political parties cannot exploit every situation to achieve their own interests based on ethnic grounds. She stated that she will use her veto power for anything that is not in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

Her opponent from the Left party, Venkovska, supported her act of omitting "North" from the country's name, believing that they should go a step further and ask Greece to terminate the Prespa Agreement. However, the new president emphasized that she will respect the Prespa Agreement and all international agreements because, as a member of the Venice Commission and a professor of constitutional law, she knows the extent and how bilateral and multilateral agreements must be approached.

The Albanian DUI party believes that she violated the Constitution in the very first sentence of the oath by not pronouncing the constitutional name of the state, and that her speech was more dedicated to International Women's Day and did not at any moment mention the European path or emphasize membership in the North Atlantic Alliance. The DUI party is likely to move into opposition with the SDSM, as the president was clear that she will veto amendments to the Constitution and any law that has an interparty, rather than a national character.

After the oath in the Sobranje, the new president headed to the presidential office in the "Vodno" villa, where she was welcomed with the highest state and military honors by Stevo Pendarovski, whose five-year presidential term had just ended. Pendarovski showed the highest act of gentlemanliness by welcoming her at the entrance of the residence and instructing her on all the protocol duties, from the smallest details such as inspecting the guard and saluting the flag, to the protocol greetings in front of the journalists.

After a one-on-one conversation, the old and new presidents warmly greeted each other, and the new president, after seeing off Pendarovski, remained in the "Vodno" villa to perform the duties of the president of the state and the supreme commander of the armed forces of North Macedonia.

The people supported the vision of the new president and the VMRO-DPMNE party with their votes, giving them absolute responsibility through power, but not absolute power. Siljanovska Davkova, with the new government composition, especially with the VMRO-DPMNE party, which won the most mandates and has the right to form the government, will try to offer the people a new era, the promised prosperity of the state and its citizens, while preserving the pride, dignity, and identity of the state, people, and language.

MACEDONIAN PRESIDENTS

• Kiro Gligorov, the first president of the Republic of Macedonia, 1991–1999, who survived an assassination attempt.
• Boris Trajkovski, president of the Republic of Macedonia 1999–2004, who died in a plane crash.
• Branko Crvenkovski, president of the Republic of Macedonia 2004–2009.
• Gjorge Ivanov, president of the Republic of Macedonia (Republic of North Macedonia) 2009–2019, during whose term the Prespa Agreement was signed; he did not accept the name change of the state.
• Stevo Pendarovski, president of the Republic of North Macedonia 2019–2024.
• Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, current president of the Republic of North Macedonia.