In North Macedonia, opposition candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova has been elected as the next president. The ruling SDSM party has accepted defeat in both the second round of the presidential election and the parliamentary election. The leader of the center-left SDSM congratulated the right-wing main opposition party on its victory. It appears that Christian Mickoski, a right-wing leader, will become prime minister, while the more ceremonial post of president will go to Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who is a lawyer and professor by background.

The incoming government in North Macedonia may have different views on foreign relations and domestic policies compared to the current administration. For instance, VMRO-DPMNE, which is coming to power, opposes concessions that Bulgaria has demanded before North Macedonia would start EU membership talks. In his speeches, Mickoski has also criticized Greece and its own Albanian minority.

As a result of these changes in leadership, it remains to be seen how North Macedonia’s path towards EU membership will be impacted and how it will approach its relationships with neighboring countries such as Bulgaria and Greece.