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| North Macedonia's Social Democrats grab slim election victory | North Macedonia's Social Democrats grab slim election victory |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Party now faces wrangle to form coalition government in run-up to EU accession talks | Party now faces wrangle to form coalition government in run-up to EU accession talks |
| The pro-western Social Democrats leader, Zoran Zaev, has declared victory in crucial elections in North Macedonia, saying the win paves the way for the Balkan state’s integration with Europe. | The pro-western Social Democrats leader, Zoran Zaev, has declared victory in crucial elections in North Macedonia, saying the win paves the way for the Balkan state’s integration with Europe. |
| The former prime minister appeared before a cheering crowd in Skopje, the capital, early on Thursday after an overnight count showed his Social Democratic-led coalition defeating the centre-right opposition by a slender margin. With 94% of ballots counted the Social Democrats had received 36%, less than two percentage points ahead of its close rival. | The former prime minister appeared before a cheering crowd in Skopje, the capital, early on Thursday after an overnight count showed his Social Democratic-led coalition defeating the centre-right opposition by a slender margin. With 94% of ballots counted the Social Democrats had received 36%, less than two percentage points ahead of its close rival. |
| “You are winners, be proud. Progress has won,” Zaev told ecstatic supporters, who were surrounded by party officials wearing protective masks. | “You are winners, be proud. Progress has won,” Zaev told ecstatic supporters, who were surrounded by party officials wearing protective masks. |
| The 45-year-old leader, who has promised to impose policies to fast-track the country’s EU accession hopes, called the poll in January after the bloc initially refused to launch membership talks with the former Yugoslav republic. | The 45-year-old leader, who has promised to impose policies to fast-track the country’s EU accession hopes, called the poll in January after the bloc initially refused to launch membership talks with the former Yugoslav republic. |
| Much had hung on the election, held amid surging coronavirus infection rates and the first since the nation agreed to change its name – adding a geographical qualifier of “north” to Macedonia to appease Greek fears of territorial designs over its own province of Macedonia. | Much had hung on the election, held amid surging coronavirus infection rates and the first since the nation agreed to change its name – adding a geographical qualifier of “north” to Macedonia to appease Greek fears of territorial designs over its own province of Macedonia. |
| Zaev had been the architect of the so-called Prespa accord, ending the long-standing dispute, and named after the lake around which it was signed with Athens’ leftist Syriza government two years ago. | |
| With the election victory secured by a mere 10,000 votes, a period of political horse-trading will follow. A workable coalition can only be formed with 61 seats in the 120-member parliament. Parties representing the country’s large ethnic Albanian minority, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its 2.1 million population, have emerged as kingmakers. | With the election victory secured by a mere 10,000 votes, a period of political horse-trading will follow. A workable coalition can only be formed with 61 seats in the 120-member parliament. Parties representing the country’s large ethnic Albanian minority, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its 2.1 million population, have emerged as kingmakers. |
| “It was a very tight race and we’re looking at lengthy negotiations between all the parties to assemble a government,” said Nenad Markovikj, a professor of political science at the Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, who expressed surprise at the relatively high turnout of 51% given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. | “It was a very tight race and we’re looking at lengthy negotiations between all the parties to assemble a government,” said Nenad Markovikj, a professor of political science at the Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, who expressed surprise at the relatively high turnout of 51% given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. |
| The narrow victory will likely exacerbate polarisation over the controversial name deal, which the opposition opposed. | The narrow victory will likely exacerbate polarisation over the controversial name deal, which the opposition opposed. |
| “There is huge frustration that Zaev won,” Markovikj said. “Political polarisation over the Prespa agreement is likely to be even higher now. But if there was a chance to dispute it, and remove Zaev from power, it was this election. The accord is the Social Democrats’ child. It will now be solidified because they were more inclined to defend it and with it euro integration.” | “There is huge frustration that Zaev won,” Markovikj said. “Political polarisation over the Prespa agreement is likely to be even higher now. But if there was a chance to dispute it, and remove Zaev from power, it was this election. The accord is the Social Democrats’ child. It will now be solidified because they were more inclined to defend it and with it euro integration.” |
| International officials monitored the election, which had been postponed since April due to the pandemic. Infections have soared in the landlocked state since restrictions were lifted, with authorities reporting more than 8,500 cases and 393 deaths as of Wednesday. Special provisions were made for about 700 people, either stricken with Covid-19 or in quarantine, to vote ahead of the poll. Elderly people and prison inmates were also permitted to cast ballots in advance. | International officials monitored the election, which had been postponed since April due to the pandemic. Infections have soared in the landlocked state since restrictions were lifted, with authorities reporting more than 8,500 cases and 393 deaths as of Wednesday. Special provisions were made for about 700 people, either stricken with Covid-19 or in quarantine, to vote ahead of the poll. Elderly people and prison inmates were also permitted to cast ballots in advance. |
| Many of the estimated 1.8 million eligible voters who have left North Macedonia and form part of the nation’s European diaspora were unable to return because of coronavirus. | Many of the estimated 1.8 million eligible voters who have left North Macedonia and form part of the nation’s European diaspora were unable to return because of coronavirus. |
| Zaev had faced a strong challenge from the populist VMRO-DPMNE party, whose leader, Hristijan Mickoski, has sought to move the party to the centre right since replacing its disgraced and exiled former leader Nikola Gruevski. | Zaev had faced a strong challenge from the populist VMRO-DPMNE party, whose leader, Hristijan Mickoski, has sought to move the party to the centre right since replacing its disgraced and exiled former leader Nikola Gruevski. |
| The Social Democrats’ victory was welcomed by western observers based in Skopje amid hope it will help facilitate the country’s embrace by Europe. Moscow, which has long been accused of meddling in the region, had backed nationalist forces in North Macedonia. | The Social Democrats’ victory was welcomed by western observers based in Skopje amid hope it will help facilitate the country’s embrace by Europe. Moscow, which has long been accused of meddling in the region, had backed nationalist forces in North Macedonia. |
| “Zaev managed to win the elections despite changing the name of the country,” said Eva Ellereit, the resident representative of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung German political foundation in Skopje. “Voters clearly want to see what he can put together now and how he can continue the pro-European reform agenda. The results are humbling but clear: the citizens of North Macedonia want to start accession talks with the EU, they do not want to return to the nationalist confrontations of the 1990s.” | “Zaev managed to win the elections despite changing the name of the country,” said Eva Ellereit, the resident representative of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung German political foundation in Skopje. “Voters clearly want to see what he can put together now and how he can continue the pro-European reform agenda. The results are humbling but clear: the citizens of North Macedonia want to start accession talks with the EU, they do not want to return to the nationalist confrontations of the 1990s.” |