Elections in North Macedonia - Referendum vote for the path towards Euro-integration

Written for Kosovo Online by Zeljko Sajn

In the presidential elections in North Macedonia today, two candidates will face each other: the incumbent president Stevo Pendarovski, supported by the SDSM party, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, who enjoys the support of the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE. These two major Macedonian parliamentary parties will also face each other in the parliamentary elections, which are also being held today, ahead of the celebration of Victory Day over fascism, when Germany officially surrendered. On the other side, the mutual parliamentary struggle will be led by Albanian political parties, gathered in two blocs - the European Forum and Worth.

In the first round of the presidential elections, the biggest surprise was shown by the association Znam, whose leader Maksim Dimitrievski won around 80,000 votes and took fourth place. In the second round, as he emphasized, he will vote for Gordana Siljanovska Davkova. Although he has not officially called on his voters to follow his choice, if his presidential votes go to Siljanovska, she would achieve 440,000 votes, which would ensure her a secure victory. If this happens, this professor of constitutional law will enter the annals of this state as the first female president and supreme commander.

It is uncertain how the voters of the Left will behave, whose candidate Prof. Biljana Vankovska received 40,000 votes for president. Although Vankovska said she would not vote for her colleague, with her votes Siljanovska would be the superior winner.

On the other hand, Albanian parties have told their voters to vote according to their personal will and preference. With this stance, it seems like a message has been sent that this may be the last time that the president of the country is elected in direct democratic elections. Let's remind, both Albanian blocs have made a gentleman's agreement not to participate in the formation of the government unless they receive a guarantee that the president will be elected in the Assembly in the next elections. If this demand is met, it can be expected that the next president of North Macedonia will be Albanian.

Based on the results of the first round of presidential elections and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova's convincing victory, who garnered twice as many votes (around 180,000) as the incumbent president Stevo Pendarovski, the people's stance towards the hypocritical European policy is clear, as opposed to the demands placed on the country without guarantees, which the largest opposition party of North Macedonia opposed, unlike SDSM, which agreed to all conditions imposed by the West on the country.

The SDSM party, after the debacle of its candidate in the first round of the presidential elections, admitted mistakes in its EU policy during the parliamentary campaign, which did not fulfil its promise. Therefore, as emphasized by the leader of this party, Kovacevski, they were punished by the citizens. With this acknowledgment, they have asked for the citizens' trust again to correct the mistake and lead the country to the promised European Union.

"We know that people are tired of the European path, which has been going on for 19 years. We know that a large number of people believe that the EU did not fulfil its promise. But there is no other option but for the country to become part of the Union, and there is no other way but the path of European integration. It is time to put aside all differences and unite in the idea of a European Macedonia," said SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski.

On May 8, the people will finally decide which policy they see as more effective for the prosperity of the country and its citizens. The goal is the same: European integration, but SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE intend to achieve this goal through different paths. SDSM offers, perhaps, a shorter path but a more expensive one for the people, their honor, dignity, and identity, while VMRO-DPMNE intends to lead the country to the goal while preserving these most important cards.

Certainly, continuing the European path entails constitutional changes first, so that Bulgarians become a constitutive element, thus removing a barrier to their neighbor's path to the EU. However, the Macedonian opposition does not accept blackmail and lies from Europeans.

"The people who have done a lot for the European future have been betrayed many times. It's time for Brussels to do something for us now. After the elections and the formation of the government, I am ready to sit down and talk on the basis of reason and mutual respect," said Hristijan Mickoski, leader of VMRO-DPMNE, who previously told "Politika" that it is necessary for Europe to guarantee that after these constitutional changes, there will be no more conditioning of the citizens of Macedonia.

Judging by the mood of Macedonian citizens, as well as official and unofficial information and polls, Pendarovski has lost the battle for his second term, while Siljanovska Davkova could be inaugurated as the new president of the country on May 12. It is also predicted that VMRO-DPMNE will win 55 out of possible 120 parliamentary mandates. The leadership of VMRO-DPMNE even believes they could have 61 MPs, enabling them to form a government on their own. The prevailing atmosphere could lead to such a result, but external factors will not allow a one-party government. According to the Ohrid Framework Agreement, Albanians are guaranteed participation in the government.

If Maksim Dimitrievski, with the association Znam, were to win 10 mandates, this duo could join forces to form a new government. For VMRO-DPMNE to secure a two-thirds majority, it is necessary to negotiate with one of the two Albanian coalitions. According to Mickoski's announcements, this could be the Vredi coalition, led by Dr. Taravari in the presidential elections. It is worth noting that Taravari was supported by Albin Kurti, whom the Albanian opposition in Tetovo declared the president of all Albanians.

Mickoski has made it clear that he definitely will not negotiate with the European Path coalition, led by the DUI party, with Ali Ahmeti at the helm. Mickoski does not want DUI in the government because of criminal activities, but he certainly cannot forget Ahmeti's move when he changed sides at the last moment and formed a government with SDSM in 2017, when VMRO-DPMNE had the majority and everything was ready for a government with Gruevski at the helm. The turn was made by just one phone call to Ahmeti, after which SDSM, along with the DUI party, took power in a turbulent manner, after the colorful revolution and "Zaev's bombs" about mass surveillance of the people.

The atmosphere of this campaign, especially the parliamentary one, did not calm even during the greatest Orthodox holiday, Easter, when chanting was heard for the Albanian Liberation Army, UCK. Its commander Ali Ahmeti, along with a large number of Albanian flags, in Saraj, a suburb of Skopje, publicly spoke about his "mission."

"I invite all of you to join us, as our platform is not ordinary, but it is a 'mission.' I entered to create Albania. First, our aim was Kosovo, and then we changed the legal status of Albanians in Macedonia, as international relations changed," Ahmeti's words were reported by the Albanian portal ekspres.mk.

The Easter holidays brought together a large number of gastarbeiters in North Macedonia, who will have the opportunity to fulfill their civic duty according to the Constitution of RSM and cast their vote for one of the two presidential candidates. Among them came about a hundred thousand Albanians, as announced by the Vredi coalition, which expects a significant victory compared to DUI. Even if they fail in that, in case VMRO-DPMNE gets the mandate to form the government, the Vredi coalition will enter the government. However, it is not excluded that Albanian parties boycott the elections and the formation of the government, as they are uncompromising with the demand to transfer the election of the president to the Assembly.

Certainly, the voice of the people is the final word of change and very significant in the era of forming a new world order. The obtained mandate will also be a referendum vote for creating a path with the future lawmakers of Europe, Russia, and the USA. Their commitment is certainly to Euro-Atlantic integrations, although conditioned by constitutional changes, so the country faces a struggle to preserve its identity and territorial integrity and sovereignty, which is threatened from both the East and the West.

Undoubtedly, the future president of North Macedonia will face a complex political labyrinth towards brighter prospects for the state and its citizens. Judging by the results of the presidential elections in the first round, a dominant victory for VMRO-DPMNE can be expected, and a return to power with the Albanian opposition and the first woman at the helm of North Macedonia, who will respect the Prespa Agreement but will not utter the adjective "North".