SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia: The first round of North Macedonia’s presidential election was held on Wednesday, the first in a series of votes to decide whether the Balkan country joins the European Union.
The second round of presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on May 8.
President Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDSM) is in danger of being ousted by Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who is backed by the right-wing party VMRO-DPMNE.
The election comes amid a two-year standoff between the government and the opposition over how to deal with neighboring Bulgaria, which has blocked the country’s path to EU membership.
Relations with Bulgaria have been strained for a long time due to differences over the language and history of the two countries.
Sofia has refused to support Skopje and start EU accession talks until North Macedonia recognizes its ethnic Bulgarian minority in its constitution.
Pendarovski and the SDSM are ready to present an amendment, but they are too few to win parliamentary votes.
The opposition party VMRO-DPMNE claims that amending the constitution is possible only after North Macedonia joins the EU, but the government says this position is unrealistic.
In Wednesday’s vote, two opposing views were put on the ballot.
According to the State Election Council, 94 percent of polling stations had been checked by 6:30 p.m., and turnout exceeded 48 percent, which is 7 percent higher than the first round of the 2019 presidential election.
Almost 1.8 million people, including many people in the diaspora, were eligible to vote, with more than 800,000 voting at 3,480 polling stations across the country, with polls closing at 7 p.m.
Old rivals
The two men, longtime political rivals who faced each other in the last presidential election in 2019, lead a field of seven candidates.
Pendarovski and the SDSM have vowed to break the stalled talks with the EU and begin constitutional reform through parliament.
Opinion polls have suggested Pendarovski is going to lose the battle.
Siljanovska-Davkova leads in the polls with 26 percent support followed by Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling centre-left Social Democratic Party on 16 percent.
The support of the five other candidates is key for the runoff.
