In the early parliamentary elections in Northern Macedonia the winning coalition headed by the Social democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) of ex-Prime Minister Zoran zaeva, which is the main merit of the Republic’s membership in NATO. However, to form a new government it will be difficult. It is not excluded that for the sake of Mr. Zaev will have to agree to the Prime Minister for the first time in Macedonian history was Albanian. With details — the correspondent of “Kommersant” in the Balkans Gennady Sysoev.SDSM-led coalition “Could” was, according to preliminary data, more than 36% of the votes, about half a percent ahead of its main rival, the moderate nationalist party VMRO-DPMNE. If the result has not changed, in the 120-seat Parliament from SDSM will be 46 deputies, and their main opponents — 44. Therefore, the first right to form a government, will receive the leader of SDSM Zoran Zaev.Monday voted COVID-19 (there were 723, all in all, the country got about 3.5 thousand persons) and in isolation. On Tuesday his right to use other patients, prisoners and people living in nursing homes. Primary election day was on Wednesday.To be on the area it was possible only in the mask, which the voters shot only a few seconds for identification. And the voting process was extended to 21 hours. However, turnout barely exceeded 50%.Unusually, the electoral campaign took place. It lasted only 20 days, rallies were not, but almost daily in social networks spread of illegal audio and video dirt — mostly on main actors — Zoran zaeva and leader of VMRO-DPMNE the Christians of Minkovskogo. During the campaign the social Democrats put in the forefront your key achievements — membership in NATO and start of negotiations with the EU. Their opponents, who went on elections under the slogan “Restoration,” promised the revival of the economy and increasing wages. They did not forget to criticize the government for a historic agreement with Greece about the name change of the country to Northern Macedonia.The need for early elections arose after last fall Zoran Zaev resigned as Prime Minister due to the fact that the EU has not kept its promises to start negotiations with Skopje on joining — this was done only in the current year. The first vote was scheduled for April 12, but because of the coronavirus postponed to July.Obvious, at first glance, with the renewal of the partnership with showed the third result (about 11% of the votes and 15 seats) Albanian “Democratic Union for integration”, which would give an absolute majority in Parliament, has pitfalls. This party first went to the polls with his candidatem premiere — former MP Nasser Ziberi and her main condition of occurrence after the election, any coalition was to demand that its candidate to lead the government. So it is not excluded that Zoran Zaev will have to agree that the chair of Prime Minister for the first time in a new Macedonian history is Albanian.However, on the foreign policy orientation of the country is not affected. The Albanian party as well as SDSM, are strongly in favour of membership of the North of Macedonia in NATO and the EU.
