Politics of North Macedonia

Political system of North Macedonia

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Politics in North Macedonia occur within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated North Macedonia a "flawed democracy" in 2022.[1]

## Political system[edit]

North Macedonia's six electoral constituencies

The political system of North Macedonia consists of three branches: Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The Constitution is the highest law of the country.[2] The political institutions are constituted by the will of its citizens by secret ballot at direct and general elections. Its political system of parliamentary democracy was established with the Constitution of 1991, which stipulates the basic principles of democracy and guarantees democratic civil freedom. The Elections for Representatives in the Assembly of North Macedonia is held in October. The Assembly is composed of 123 Representatives, who are elected for a period of four years. Out of this number, 120 are elected proportionally in 6 constituencies of 20 each, and 3 according to the majority principle, specifically for the diaspora (depending on turnout) (the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia representing one constituency). There are approximately 1.5 million voters registered in the General Electoral Roll for the election of Representatives in the Assembly of North Macedonia in 2.973 polling stations. The voting for the representatives is conducted according to the list system.[3]

### Presidents[edit]

* Kiro Gligorov (1991–1999)
* Boris Trajkovski (1999–2004)
* Branko Crvenkovski (2004–2009)
* Gjorge Ivanov (2009–2019)
* Stevo Pendarovski (2019–2024)
* Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (2024–present)

## Executive branch[edit]

Main office-holders  Office  | Name  | Party  | Since

|
|
|

President |

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova

| VMRO-DPMNE | 12 May 2024
Prime Minister |

Talat Xhaferi

| BDI | 28 January 2024

Although in Macedonian, these roles have very similar titles (Претседател на Република Северна Македонија "President of the Republic of North Macedonia" and Претседател на Владата на Република Северна Македонија "President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia") it is much less confusing to refer to them in English as president and prime minister respectively. These are also the terms used in the English translation of the constitution.

### President[edit]

Coat of arms of the president of North Macedonia

* cannot hold any other public office or position in a political party
* is elected for a 5-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms
* is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of the Security Council
* nominates a candidate from the majority party or parties in the Assembly who then proposes the Government who are elected by the Assembly
* makes diplomatic appointments and some judicial and Security Council appointments
* grants decorations, honours and pardons[4]

### Government[edit]

The power of the president is fairly limited with all other executive power being vested in what the Constitution describes as the government, i.e., the prime minister and ministers.

Ministers:

* cannot be Representatives in the Assembly
* cannot hold any other public office or follow a profession while in office
* are elected by a majority vote in the Assembly
* are granted legal immunity
* cannot be called for service in the Armed Forces
* propose laws, budget and regulations to be adopted by the Assembly
* control diplomatic policy
* make other state appointments[4]

### Current cabinet[edit]

The current cabinet is a coalition of SDSM, the Democratic Union for Integration, the New Social Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Party for the Full Emancipation of the Roma of Macedonia, Democratic Party of Turks and the Party for the Movement of Turks in Macedonia. The members of the Cabinet of North Macedonia are chosen by the Prime Minister and approved by the national Parliament, however certain cabinet level positions are chosen by both President and Prime Minister, and approved by the Parliament.

Current government as of 28 January 2024

Member  | Portfolio  | Macedonio

|
|

Talat Xhaferi | Prime Minister |
Artan Grubi | Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Framework Agreement Implementation, Political system and

inter-community relations

Fatmir Bytyqi | Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Affairs, Minister without Portfolio  |
Bojan Maricik | Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Integration, Minister without Portfolio  |
Slavica Grkovska | Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Good Governance Policies, Minister without Portfolio  |
Bujar Osmani | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
Slavjanka Petrovska | Minister of Defense |
Panche Toshkovski | Minister of Internal Affairs |
Fatmir Besimi | Minister of Finance |
Krenar Loga | Minister of Justice  |
Ljubčo Nikolovski | Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Supply  |
Blagoja Bočvarski | Minister of Transport and Communication  |
Kreshnik Bekteshi | Minister of Economy  |
Fatmir Magiti | Minister of Health  |
Jeton Shaqiri | Minister of Education and Science |
Admirim Aliti | Minister of Information Society and Administration  |
Risto Penov | Minister of Local Self-Government  |
Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska | Minister of Culture  |
Gjoko Velkovski | Minister of Labor and Social Policy  |
Naser Nuredini | Minister of Environment and Physical Planning |
Elvin Hasan | Minister without Portfolio for Attracting foreign investment  |
Xhemail Çupi | Minister without Portfolio  |
Zoran Sapurić | Minister without Portfolio to improve investment climate for domestic enterprises  |
Anita Angelovska-Bežoska | Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia |
Ljupco Švrgovski | Attorney General  |
Vasko Gjurčinovski | Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia |

## Legislative branch[edit]

Main article: Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia

Main article: List of political parties in North Macedonia

The Assembly (Sobranie) has 120 members, elected for a four-year term, by proportional representation. There are between 120 and 140 seats, currently there are 120; members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed list proportional representation vote. There is a possibility of three people being directly elected in diaspora constituencies by a simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout. The last election to be held was on 11 December 2016, with a second round held in one polling station on 25 December 2016. The next election is to be held in 2020. The result of this election was as follows: percent of vote by party/coalition - VMRO-DPMNE 38.1%, SDSM coalition 36.7%, BDI 7.3%, Besa Movement 4.9%, AfA 3.1%, PDSh 2.7%, other 7.2%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 51, SDSM coalition 49, BDI 10, Besa Movement 5, AfA 3, PDSh 2; note - the 3 seats for diaspora went unfilled because none of the candidates won the 6,500 minimum vote threshold. Seats by party/coalition as of May 2019 - ruling coalition 68 (SDSM coalition 49, BDI 10, Besa Movement 3, PDSh 2, other 5), opposition coalition 52 (VMRO-DPMNE coalition 48, Besa Movement 2, AfA 2); composition - men 75, women 45, percent of women 37.5%

## 2020 election result[edit]

Main article: 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election

Politics of North Macedonia

* * *

| <- 2016 | 15 July 2020 | 2024 ->

|
|

* * *

All 120 seats in the Assembly
61 seats needed for a majority
Turnout| 52.02% ( 14.77pp)
| Party | Leader  | % | Seats  | +/–

|
|
|
|

We Can! | Zoran Zaev | 35.89  | 46  | −8
Renewal for Macedonia | Hristijan Mickoski | 34.57  | 44  | −7
BDI | Ali Ahmeti | 11.48  | 15  | +5
ASh–Alternativa | Ziadin Sela [mk] | 8.95  | 12  | +9
Levica | Dimitar Apasiev | 4.10  | 2  | +2
PDSh | Menduh Thaçi | 1.53  | 1  | −1

This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Results by constituency

Prime Minister before | Prime Minister after

|

Oliver Spasovski
SDSM | Zoran Zaev
SDSM

Politics of North Macedonia

Constitution

* Human rights

LGBT rights
* Language and politics

Executive

* President

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova
* Prime Minister

Talat Xhaferi

Legislature

* Assembly

President: Afrim Gashi

Elections

* Recent elections

* Presidential: 2019
* 2024

* Parliamentary: 2020
* 2024

* Local: 2013
* 2017
* 2021 [mk]

* Political parties

Administrative divisions

* Municipalities
* Regions

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Bujar Osmani

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in North Macedonia

* * *

* Nationality law
* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* * *

* EU accession
* NATO accession
* Naming issue

Negotiator: Nikola Dimitrov
Special Envoy: Vlado Bučkovski

North Macedonia portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

Early parliamentary elections were held in North Macedonia on 15 July 2020.[5] It was originally scheduled for November 2020, but Prime Minister Zoran Zaev called early elections after the European Council failed to come to an agreement on starting talks with North Macedonia on joining the European Union in October 2019. The election date was set for 12 April, but was postponed until July due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia.[6]

## 2024 election result[edit]

Main article: 2024 North Macedonian parliamentary election

The election resulted in a landslide victory for the national conservative VMRO-DPMNE and its Your Macedonia coalition, winning 58 seats in the Sobranie, just three shy of an outright majority. Their main rivals, the incumbent pro-European SDSM and its For a European Future coalition, ended up in distant third place, winning 18 seats, their worst ever result. All other parties and coalitions that won seats include: the European Front coalition with 19 seats and the VLEN Coalition with 13 seats (both representing national minorities), the left-wing nationalist The Left with six seats, as well as the left-wing populist For Our Macedonia Movement (ZNAM) with six seats.[7] Turnout was 55%. The SDSM and its For a European Future coalition ended up in second place while the DUI with the European Front coalition moved down to third place with 18 seats and the VLEN Coalition with 14 seats after repolling in Ohrid, Struga and other areas on 22 May 2024.[8]

Party| Votes| %| Seats| +/–
| Your Macedonia[a]| 436,407| 44.58| 58| +14
| For a European Future[b]| 154,447| 15.78| 18| –28
| European Front[c]| 137,690| 14.06| 18| +3
| VLEN Coalition[d]| 106,937| 10.92| 14| +2
| The Left| 68,637| 7.01| 6| +4
| For Our Macedonia| 56,232| 5.74| 6| New
| Brave for Macedonia[e]| 4,522| 0.46| 0| –1
| New Alternative [mk]| 3,515| 0.36| 0| 0
| Abaja| 2,908| 0.30| 0| New
| Your Party| 1,794| 0.18| 0| 0
| United Macedonia [mk]| 1,688| 0.17| 0| New
| Homeland Macedonia [mk]| 1,099| 0.11| 0| New
| Macedonian Era Third – Sovereignists| 966| 0.10| 0| New
| Democrats Skopje [mk]| 912| 0.09| 0| 0
| The Right| 535| 0.05| 0| New
| Labour Party [mk]| 450| 0.05| 0| 0
| European Civic Movement| 241| 0.02| 0| New
Total| 978,980| 100.00| 120| 0
Valid votes| 978,980| 97.27|
Invalid/blank votes| 27,451| 2.73|
Total votes| 1,006,431| 100.00|
Registered voters/turnout| 1,815,350| 55.44|
Source: SEC

## Judicial branch[edit]

Judiciary power is exercised by courts, with the court system being headed by the Judicial Supreme Court, Constitutional Court[9] and the Republican Judicial Council. The assembly appoints the judges, of which there are 22 in the Supreme Court, and 9 in the Constitutional Court. Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-year terms

## Administrative divisions[edit]

With the passage of a new law and elections held in 2005, local government functions are divided between 78 municipalities (општини, opštini; singular: општина, opština. The capital, Skopje, is governed as a group of ten municipalities collectively referred to as "the City of Skopje". Municipalities in North Macedonia are units of local self-government. Neighbouring municipalities may establish cooperative arrangements.

## Ethnic diversity[edit]

The country's main political divergence is between the largely ethnically based political parties representing the country's Macedonian majority and Albanian minority. The issue of the power balance between the two communities led to a brief war in 2001, following which a power-sharing agreement was reached. In August 2004, the Republic's parliament passed legislation redrawing local boundaries and giving greater local autonomy to ethnic Albanians in areas where they predominate.

## Foreign relations[edit]

Main article: Foreign relations of North Macedonia

North Macedonia is member of the ACCT, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NATO, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Most notable relations with other countries include: Greece, China the US and Kosovo amongst others.

### Greece[edit]

North Macedonia and Greece have excellent economic, trade and business relations, with Greece being the largest investor in the country[citation needed]. Until the Prespa Agreement (2018), the indeterminate status of North Macedonia's former name arose from a long-running dispute with Greece. The main points of the dispute were: The flag: the use of Vergina Sun, a Greek state symbol[citation needed], on the initial national flag used between 1992 and 1995 Constitutional issues: certain articles of the constitution that were seen as claims on Greek territory[citation needed]. The naming issue was "parked" in a compromise agreed at the United Nations in 1993. However, Greece refused to grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic and imposed an economic blockade that lasted until the flag and constitutional issues were resolved in 1995 with the Interim Accord. The naming dispute was resolved with the Prespa Agreement, which was signed in 2018 and entered into force in February 2019.

### United States[edit]

The United States and North Macedonia enjoy excellent bilateral relations.[10] The United States formally recognised North Macedonia on 8 February 1994, and the two countries established full diplomatic relations on 13 September 1995. The U.S. Liaison Office was upgraded to an embassy in February 1996, and the first U.S. Ambassador to Skopje arrived in July 1996. The development of political relations between the United States and North Macedonia has ushered in a whole host of other contacts between the two states. In 2004, the United States recognised the country under its constitutional name of that time – Republic of Macedonia.

### China[edit]

On 12 October 1993, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) established diplomatic relations with North Macedonia expressly declaring that the Government of the PRC is the sole legal government of China, and Taiwan as an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The Government of North Macedonia affirmed it would not establish any form of official relations with Taiwan.[11]

## See also[edit]

* Electoral units of North Macedonia
* Together Under One Sun

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Consists of VMRO-DPMNE, SPM, DPSM, DS, PODEM, ROM, Party of Vlachs from Macedonia, VOICE for Macedonia, NLP, SDU, DPR, RZPRM, OPER, Dignity, TMRO, MAAK, United for Macedonia and Macedonian Concept
2. ^ Consists of: SDSM, LDP, NSDP, VMRO-NP, PDT, DOM, POPGM, SSM, DNET, SNSM, BNP, DSR, DSVM, SRM, Party of Democratic Action of Macedonia, Desnica, PDPR and POEN
3. ^ Consists of BDI, Alliance for Albanians (Sela's - led), PDSH, Democratic European Party, People's Movement, DPT, Movement of Turks for Justice and Democracy, Union of Roma in Macedonia and Bosniak Democratic Union
4. ^ Consists of Democratic Movement, Alternativa, Alliance for Albanians (Taravari's - led) the Besa Movement and others
5. ^ Consists of: Citizen Option for Macedonia, Party for the Full Emancipation of the Roma of Macedonia, Integra-Macedonian Conservative Party

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Democracy Index 2022: Frontline democracy and the battle for Ukraine" (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit. 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
2. ^ "Republic of Macedonia Constitution".
3. ^ Macedonian Political System Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ a b Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ North Macedonia Leaders Agree Election Date Balkan Insight, 15 June 2020
6. ^ Government of North Macedonia officially postpones the elections European Western Balkans, 23 March 2020
7. ^ "Претседателски и парламентарни избори 2024 – 08.05.2024". Државна Изборна Комисија (in Macedonian). 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
8. ^ "Parliamentary elections revoting - 22.05.2024". Државна Изборна Комисија (in Macedonian). 22 May 2024.
9. ^ See Shasivari, Jeton. Restricted Judicial Activism of the Constitutional Court of Republic of Macedonia Regarding Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Juridica; Galati Vol. 15, Fasc. 1, (2019).
10. ^ Makfax Agency United States of America congratulate President Ivanov on his inauguration and are looking forward to continuing of the excellent relations with Macedonia
11. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China". Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2015.

## Further reading[edit]

* Mattioli, Fabio (2020). Dark Finance: Illiquidity and Authoritarianism at the Margins of Europe. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-1-5036-1294-5.

* v
* t
* e

North Macedonia articles

History|

| Ancient|

* Paeonia
* Pelagonia
* Kingdom of Macedon
* Upper Macedonia
* Kingdom of Dardania
* Roman Province
* Macedonia Salutaris
* Roman Diocese

|

Medieval|

* Bulgarian Empire
* First
* Second
* Byzantine Empire
* Theme of Bulgaria
* Serbian Empire
* Kingdom of Prilep

Ottoman|

* Ottoman Empire
* Karposh's rebellion
* Macedonian awakening
* Ilinden Uprising
* Kruševo Republic
* Kruševo Manifesto
* Balkan Wars
* Treaty of Bucharest

Yugoslavia|

* World War I
* Bulgarian occupation
* South Serbia
* Vardar Banovina
* World War II
* War in Yugoslav Macedonia
* Independent Macedonia (1944)
* Anti-Fascist Assembly (ASNOM)
* National Liberation Front
* Refugees of the Greek Civil War
* Socialist Republic
* 1963 Skopje earthquake

Republic|

* 2001 insurgency
* Ohrid Agreement
* 2012 inter-ethnic violence
* 2014 Macedonian government building attack
* 2015 Kumanovo clashes
* 2015 Macedonian protests
* 2016 Macedonian protests-Colorful Revolution
* 2017 storming of the Macedonian Parliament
* 2018 Prespa agreement
* 2022 North Macedonia protests

Geography|

* Balkans
* Cities
* Environmental issues
* Geology
* Lakes
* Mountains
* Rivers
* Wildlife

Politics|

* Constitution
* Elections
* Parliament
* Political parties
* President
* Prime Minister

* Administrative divisions
* Municipalities
* Statistical regions

* Foreign relations
* Human rights
* LGBT
* Law enforcement
* Military
* Naming dispute

Economy|

* Agriculture
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* Tourism
* Transport

Society|

* Demographics
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* Ethnic groups
* Macedonians
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Culture|

* Anthem
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* Outline

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Politics of Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
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States with limited
recognition|

* Abkhazia
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Dependencies and
other entities|

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Other entities|

* European Union

*[%]: Percentage vote share
*[+/–]: Seat change from last election
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