Ruling party secures landslide victory in North Macedonia’s local elections

North Macedonia’s ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, riding a wave of public discontent over stalled European Union accession talks, claimed a resounding triumph in the country’s eighth local elections since independence, capturing mayoral victories in 53 of the 81 municipalities based on preliminary results.

With nearly 99% of votes tallied from Sunday’s first-round balloting, the conservative party’s dominance was evident across ethnic Macedonian-majority areas, while its Albanian ally, the VLEN coalition, solidified gains in key ethnic Albanian strongholds, leading in nine municipalities.

The outcome, which saw voter turnout climb to 31.16% by mid-afternoon, underscores the ruling coalition’s grip on power just a year after sweeping parliamentary and presidential races, but it also highlights persistent fractures in the opposition and unresolved electoral irregularities.

The elections, held across 3,475 polling stations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., drew approximately 1.83 million eligible voters to choose mayors and municipal councilors in 80 municipalities plus the capital Skopje.

In a two-round system, candidates needed over 50% to win outright; where they fell short, runoffs are slated for 2 November.

A staggering 10,490 candidates vied for seats, including 309 for mayor—though only 32 were women, reflecting ongoing gender disparities in politics.

The State Election Commission (SEC) reported no major disruptions, though isolated incidents of alleged bribery in Prilep prompted arrests, and journalists faced access issues at some stations.

Skopje, the political battleground with 18 mayoral contenders, VMRO-DPMNE’s Orce Georgievski surged ahead with 39.77% of the vote, far outpacing rivals: the Left Party’s Amar Mecinovic at 13.30%, VLEN’s Bashkim Bakiu at 11.87%, and SDSM’s Skender Rexhepi at 11.55%.

Georgievski’s lead positions him as the frontrunner for a runoff, potentially against Mecinovic, in a contest that could reshape the capital’s governance amid urban infrastructure woes and corruption allegations.

Elsewhere, the Social Democratic Union (SDSM), the main opposition, clung to leads in just eight municipalities, while the National Alliance for Integration edged out in five— a sharp rebuke following their 2024 national defeats.

These results cap a fiercely contested campaign dominated by frustrations over North Macedonia’s EU limbo. The Balkan nation’s path to Brussels has been derailed by incapacity to solve issues with EU neighbours, first Greece and then Bulgaria.

The European Commission requires Skopje to change its constitution to include the ethnic Bulgarians, as a condition to unlock the accession talks.

Commission chief tells Skopje: You need to make the agreed constitutional change

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s VMRO-DPMNE, which swept to power in 2024 on promises of robust reforms and anti-corruption drives, framed the locals as a “stress test” for its mandate.

Mickoski, addressing jubilant supporters in Skopje late Sunday, hailed the wins as “a clear signal from the people” for accelerated EU negotiations without “humiliating concessions.”

Yet, with constitutional amendments required to appease Sofia, the coalition’s post-election “Resolution” pledges to push reforms while rejecting ultimatums, potentially setting the stage for early parliamentary polls in 2026.

Ethnic dynamics added layers of complexity, particularly in Albanian-majority areas where the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), a long-time kingmaker, faced a stiff challenge from the upstart VLEN alliance. DUI positioned the vote as a “referendum” on Albanian representation in Mickoski’s government, but VLEN’s surges in Tetovo and Gostivar signal shifting loyalties among the 25% ethnic Albanian population.

Independent candidates, bolstered by a May 2025 Constitutional Court ruling easing signature requirements, injected fresh voices, though their impact remained marginal.

Voter lists drew familiar scrutiny: in some municipalities, registered numbers exceeded census figures, fueling accusations of ghost voters and diaspora discrepancies—issues the SEC vowed to audit post-election.

International observers, led by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), deployed over 250 short-term monitors alongside 24 long-term ones to scrutinize the process from registration to tabulation.

The joint mission with the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the European Parliament praised biometric verification for curbing fraud but flagged persistent media biases and campaign finance opacity—echoing recommendations from the 2024 national polls.

Preliminary findings, unveiled at a Skopje press conference, described voting as “orderly and transparent” overall, with no systemic irregularities, though isolated intimidation reports in rural areas warranted investigation.

A full report is due in months.For VMRO-DPMNE, the haul—up from 44 municipalities in 2021—translates to enhanced local patronage and leverage in national debates, potentially pressuring SDSM remnants to back EU-mandated changes.

SDSM leader Skender Rexhepi conceded the “harsh verdict” but vowed a rebound, blaming internal rifts and economic woes like inflation and brain drain.

With BGNES, edited by g.g.

Caption: North Macedonia’s Prime Minister and leader of the ruling VMRO DPMNE, Hristijan Mickovski (R) reacts during the press conference in his party’s headquarter in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 19 October 2025. North Macedonia’s ruling party VMRO-DPMNE and their coalition partners lead in most municipalities across North Macedonia after local elections held on 19 October, according to the State Election Commission (SEC). EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI