Voters in North Macedonia will head to the polls on Sunday for local elections widely viewed as a referendum on the government’s performance and the nation’s frustration with its stalled path toward European Union (EU) membership.
Although the ballot is for municipal posts, the campaign has been dominated by national themes — identity, minority rights, and the 19-year gridlock over joining the EU.
In Skopje, the capital of 520,000 people, urban issues remain unresolved: the city still lacks a wastewater treatment plant, relies solely on buses for public transport, and has yet to adopt its delayed 2022–2032 urban plan.
“Despite being local elections, the campaign has revolved around national questions — identity, minority rights, and how to unblock EU accession,” said to DW Dimitar Nikolovski, executive director of the Eurothink Center for European Strategies.
Political blame game over EU freeze
North Macedonia became an EU candidate in 2005 but has since made little progress, held back by disputes with Bulgaria. Sofia’s veto in 2020 halted the start of membership talks, which have only reached the first intergovernmental conference stage.
Venko Filipce, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Union (SDSM), opened his campaign by urging the government to meet all EU negotiation obligations by February 2026 and called for a national consensus on reforms.
“If we achieve consensus and move decisively, no one will be able to stop us on the path to the EU,” Filipce said, adding he would support amending the constitution to include the Bulgarian minority — a condition Bulgaria demands to lift its veto.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, head of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, rejected the proposal, accusing the opposition of “surrendering to Sofia’s pressures” and insisting he would not compromise “national dignity.”
“Without a political compromise backed by credible EU guarantees, I don’t expect a quick breakthrough,” said Nikolovski. “Still, signals suggest the government could propose a new formula by year’s end.”
Brussels reaffirms conditions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Skopje earlier this week, reiterating that the next step for the country was constitutional change.
“The next and only step before opening negotiations is clear — you need to make the agreed constitutional change,” von der Leyen wrote on X after meeting Mickoski, who said his government “will not trade dignity and honor.”
Divided public, strong VMRO lead
Public opinion remains split. A survey by the Institute for Political Research for public broadcaster MRTV found 28% of respondents said the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 27% said it is on the right track.
VMRO-DPMNE leads with 26.7% support, followed by SDSM at 11.1%, the leftist Levica party at 5.5%, independents at 4.3%, and the small coalition partner ZNAM at 3.8%.
Among ethnic Albanians — about one-quarter of the 1.8 million population — the opposition Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) leads with 9.9%, ahead of the ruling Albanian coalition VLEN at 7.5%.
BDI leader Ali Ahmeti criticized the government’s “frozen EU ties” and relations with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, calling for early national elections next spring “in the spirit of legitimacy and national pride.”
Stress test for ruling coalition
Analyst Nikolovski described Sunday’s vote as a “stress test” for Mickoski’s government, particularly in Albanian-majority municipalities where outcomes could reshape coalition dynamics.
“The campaign has been sharply polarized, but there’s no sign of external interference like Russian operations seen in Moldova,” he said.
The State Election Commission has registered 577 candidate lists for local councils and 309 mayoral contenders across 81 municipalities. Only 32 of the mayoral candidates are women.
Runoffs, if needed, will be held on November 2.