North Macedonia elections and politics (presidential & legislative elections May 8 2024)

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

VMRO-DPMNE are already crowing about a landslide win, certainly in the presidential, but also in the parliamentary election.

It seems that the last minute SDSM instruction to abstain from voting in the presidential election didn't reach enough people in time. Holding turnout below the 40% required by the constitution would have meant a re-do, but even with not all of the precincts reporting, the number of voters in the presidential election has reached 46% (with some 54% voting for parliament). Gordana Siljanovska is as good as elected.

For parliament, it is too early to say for sure, but VMRO-DPMNE are on track for a majority and SDSM may fall to historic lows.

What good does telling people not to vote do?

the election is invalid if turnout goes below 40%.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

VMRO-DPMNE are already crowing about a landslide win, certainly in the presidential, but also in the parliamentary election.

It seems that the last minute SDSM instruction to abstain from voting in the presidential election didn't reach enough people in time. Holding turnout below the 40% required by the constitution would have meant a re-do, but even with not all of the precincts reporting, the number of voters in the presidential election has reached 46% (with some 54% voting for parliament). Gordana Siljanovska is as good as elected.

For parliament, it is too early to say for sure, but VMRO-DPMNE are on track for a majority and SDSM may fall to historic lows.

What good does telling people not to vote do?

the election is invalid if turnout goes below 40%.

and even if it was wouldn't it be reheld with the same candidates?

yeah, but if you're certain you'll lose, I suppose it makes sense to try and get some more time to turn that around.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

And the classic Balkan ethno nationalist BS begins:

"Speaking on Sky TV this morning, Mitsotakis reiterated his party's previous opposition to ratifying the Prespa Treaty in early 2019. He emphasized that recent developments in Skopje, where newly elected President Gordana Siljanovska began using "Macedonia" instead of the agreed constitutional name "Republic of North Macedonia" during her inauguration, confirm the validity of his party's reservations."

the Balkans never disappoint with this useless stuff.