The southeastern European country is experiencing frustration over the stalling of European integration, with much of the blame for the election result falling on the poor administration of the Social Democratic government. North Macedonia has made significant compromises for EU accession, even changing its name, with little progress in return. The national conservative VMRO-DPMNE has won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, falling just short of an absolute majority. The party leader Hristijan Mickoski is the new head of government, replacing Dimitar Kovacevski’s Social Democrats.

The frustrations over progress toward EU accession are compounded by obstacles such as the dispute with Bulgaria, which includes questions of identity and the recognition of a Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia. Despite efforts towards integration, including joining NATO, the lack of transparency in negotiations and trust issues remain. The recent election results reflect discontent with poor governance and lack of progress in addressing corruption and other issues.

The Albanian coalition partner, DUI, has also played a role in the country’s political landscape, but the united Albanian opposition has made gains in the recent elections. The election winner Mickoski is not reliant on the DUI to integrate the Albanian minority. Overall, the election results reflect both frustration with the slow progress towards EU integration and discontent with the governance of the Social Democrats.