site.btaNorth Macedonia Gears Up for Local Elections

The ruling VMRO-DPMNE party has signed a coalition agreement to run in the local elections in the Republic of North Macedonia, scheduled for October 19. In a statement after the signing ceremony, party leader Hristijan Mickoski said that the Your Macedonia coalition includes 25 parties, adding that the joint platform will ensure the progress of the country. 

Lists of candidates for municipal councillors and mayors of settlements across North Macedonia can be submitted by midnight on September 13. The public inspection of the electoral registers ended on Thursday evening. The citizens of North Macedonia will elect mayors and municipal councillors in 80 municipalities and the capital city of Skopje, with voting taking place across 3,480 polling districts. A runoff for mayoral elections is scheduled for November 2. 

So far, nine candidates have officially entered the race for mayor of Skopje – eight nominated by political parties and one independent. More candidates are expected to register before the deadline, particularly those nominated by civil society organizations.

The official election campaign begins on September 29, although the candidates announced by major political parties have already started presenting their platforms to voters.

According to estimates by the State Election Commission, the local elections in North Macedonia are expected to cost around EUR 10 million, with two-thirds of that budget allocated for media and paid political advertising.