The Southeastern European country has been experiencing frustration over the stalling of European integration, with much of the blame for the election results falling on the poor administration of the Social Democratic government. Despite making significant compromises for EU accession, including changing its name, North Macedonia has seen little progress in return. In recent parliamentary elections, the national conservative VMRO-DPMNE won a landslide victory, falling just short of an absolute majority. The party leader Hristijan Mickoski is now the new head of government, replacing Dimitar Kovacevski’s Social Democrats.
The frustrations over progress towards EU accession are compounded by obstacles such as the dispute with Bulgaria, which includes questions of identity and the recognition of a Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia. Despite efforts towards integration, including joining NATO, the lack of transparency in negotiations and trust issues remain. The recent election results reflect discontent with poor governance and lack of progress in addressing corruption and other issues.
The Albanian coalition partner, DUI, has also played a role in the country’s political landscape. However, the united Albanian opposition has made gains in recent elections. The election winner Mickoski is not reliant on the DUI to integrate the Albanian minority. Overall, the election results reflect both frustration with slow progress towards EU integration and discontent with governance under the Social Democrats.