North Macedonia: Crucial elections for the country’s presidency

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Seven candidates for the presidency of North Macedonia will be judged on Wednesday in the seventh presidential election of the country bordering Greece, with the outgoing Stevo Pentarovsky and the VMRO candidate Gordana Silianoska-Davkova to precede the polls.

Main topics on the pre-election agenda were the country’s European course, the rule of law, corruption and the economy.

THE accession to the European Union is the most thorny issue, since, after the resolution of the naming problem with Greece, it is Bulgaria that casts a veto, demanding that the existence of a Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia be recognized in the Constitution.

The 61-year-old Pendarovski has called for the necessary change to the Constitution, while the 70-year-old Davkova is asking for a new framework in the accession negotiations and is not publicly committed to constitutional changes.

THE corruption it’s also a hot-button issue, with both of the main candidates running against her.

Indicative of the situation is that one of the presidential candidates, the mayor of the city of Karpos Stevco Jakimovski, has been banned from entering the United States due to his involvement in corruption cases. However, no prosecution has been brought against him and therefore his candidacy was accepted without any problem.

Davkova insists in every turn of her speech to underline the need for radical reforms

The list of candidates also includes the professor of law Biliana Vankowskawhich is supported by the left Levitsa, and the mayor Kumanovo Maxim Dmitrievsky. Two members of the Albanian minority are also running, one of whom is the foreign minister Bouyar Osmani and the second o Arben Taravari coming from an Albanian opposition party.

According to the polls, no candidate is expected to exceed 50% and the contest will go to a second round, which is to be held on May 8, together with the parliamentary elections.