North Macedonia holds elections dominated by the country's path to EU membership and corruption
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Voters in North Macedonia were casting ballots on Wednesday in a parliamentary election and a presidential runoff dominated by issues including the country’s path toward European Union membership, corruption and the economy.
The 61-year-old incumbent in the presidential election, Stevo Pendarovski, faces Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, 70. Pendarovski is supported by the ruling center-left coalition, while Siljanovska-Davkova is backed by the center-right opposition.
Pendarovski and Siljanovska-Davkova squared off in the last election, in 2019, and Pendarovski had won with 53.8% of the vote.
The first round of the latest presidential election, on April 24, was seen as a barometer for the parliamentary election. It gave a clear lead to Siljanovska-Davkova, who garnered 41.2%, compared to 20.5% for Pendarovski. Turnout must be at least 40% in the runoff for the result to be valid.
https://apnews.com/article/north-macedonia-election-corruption-european-union-bulgaria-ac12182171ed7d46f160feeb469c7aa4