North Macedonia: First round of presidential elections on Wednesday – Candidates and favorites

The presidential elections, which will be held tomorrow, Wednesday (April 24) in North Macedonia, are announced as ambiguous.

Seven candidates are participating:

• * The current president of North Macedonia, candidate of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM), Stevo Pendarovski;
• * Gordana Silianovska, of the right-wing opposition VMRO-DPMNE;
• * Maxim Dimitrievsky, mayor of Kumanovo, leader of the newly formed party “Xero”;
• * Biliana Vankovska, professor at the University of Skopje, candidate of the nationalist, pro-Russian party “Left”;
• * Steftso Jakimovski, mayor of Karpos (large municipality of the urban complex of Skopje), leader of the small GROM party. Recently, the US announced that it is banning Stefso Jakimovski from entering its territory, citing his involvement in corruption cases;
• * Bujar Osmani, the foreign minister of North Macedonia, a candidate of the largest, co-ruling Albanian party DUI, led by Ali Ahmeti; and
• * Arben Taravari, mayor of Gostivar, candidate of a coalition of four opposition Albanian parties, branded “Axize”.

B. Macedonia: What the polls “see”.

In order to be elected president of the Republic of North Macedonia anyone or any of the first round is required to receive a percentage of more than 50%, which according to the opinion polls is almost impossible.

The result is therefore expected to be decided in the second round, on May 8, between the two winners of the first round.

The second round of the presidential elections coincides with the parliamentary elections in the country.

It is considered almost certain that the VMRO-DPMNE candidate Silianovska will be the first to cut the thread of tomorrow’s first round of the presidential elections, with the SDSM candidate Pendarovski second. The two, according to estimates, will face each other in the second round of the presidential elections, with 70-year-old Gordana Silianovska having the best chance of winning and becoming the new president of North Macedonia.

B. Macedonia: What will play an important role in the second round of the presidential elections

However, in the second round of the presidential elections, the attitude of the Albanian voters, in other words 25% of the North Macedonian electorate, will play an important role.

60-year-old Stevo Pendarovski resonates with Albanian voters and can only hope to be re-elected if he is voted in by them in the second round.

The president of North Macedonia has limited powers, performing mainly ceremonial duties.

The term of the outgoing president of North Macedonia, Pendarovski, ends on May 12.

Mr. Pendarovski was elected president of North Macedonia in May 2019, when he was the joint candidate of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM) and the co-ruling Albanian party DUI. She had prevailed in those elections over the candidate of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE Silianovska.

The result of the first round of the presidential elections is expected to be reflected in the parliamentary elections on May 8, ahead of which, according to opinion polls, VMRO-DPMNE is ahead, and indeed by a large margin, of the ruling Social Democratic Party, without, however, looking like it is heading to form a self-governing government.