Top News

US Official Escobar on North Macedonia’s EU Path

On Tuesday, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Gabriel Escobar, commented on North Macedonia’s EU path. “I want to start by saying that both North Macedonia and Bulgaria are valued NATO members and Allies. And so, we want a peaceful resolution of any issues, but we encourage dialogue between North Macedonia and Bulgaria to ...

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SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE Trade Accusations over Presidential Candidates

VMRO-DPMNE’s Mile Lefkov held on Tuesday another press-conference where he criticised President Stevo Pendarovski, who’s a candidate for a second term. At the press-conference, an excerpt from an interview Pendarovski had with a TV station on 18 January 2022 was played in which the President says Bulgaria’s stand on constitutional changes represents interference in North Macedonia’s internal affairs. However, as ...

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VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM Preparing List of MP Candidates

VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, party Vice-President Vlado Misajlovski, MP Dragan Kovachki, party Vice-President Aleksandar Nikoloski, and MP Dafina Stojanoska will head the MP candidate lists in Electoral Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, respectively, while a decision on Electoral District 5 still hasn’t been made. Regarding SDSM, Kovacevski will face Mickoski in District 1. In District 2, SDSM’s list ...

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Elections: ODIHR to Request 24 Long-Term and 300 Short-Term Observers

For the upcoming elections in North Macedonia, ODIHR will request the secondment by OSCE participating States of 24 long-term observers to follow the electoral process countrywide, as well as 300 short-term observers to follow election day procedures, with the general assessment being that electoral legislation needs essential reforms, while preparations have started too late. ODIHR says, inter alia, in its ...

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Deadline for Collecting Signatures Expires: Seven Candidates for President

The deadline for collecting signatures for the presidential process has expired. Officially, there are seven candidates for President: Stevo Pendarovski, endorsed by SDSM, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, endorsed by VMRO-DPMNE, Bujar Osmani, endorsed by DUI, Arben Taravari, endorsed by the VLEN coalition, Stevco Jakimovski, endorsed by GROM, Maksim Dimitrevski, endorsed by ZNAM, and Biljana Vankovska, endorsed by Levica. On Friday, Taravari ...

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Personal Documents Issue: Latest Developments

The Interior Ministry, in order to establish order with regards to the process for people to have their photos taken and for issuing personal documents, will introduce a so-called Get a Number system. The system was tested on the premises of the Administrative Affairs Department of Kumanovo on Saturday, caretaker Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said. Soon, it will be fully ...

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Parliament Passes Electoral Code Changes

On Thursday, with 84 votes in favour and two abstentions, Parliament passed the Electoral Code changes. Ruling majority and opposition parliamentarians found common ground to enable over 100,000 citizens without documents containing the new constitutional name to be able to vote in the elections. According to the provisional transition, all adults with an ID or passport whose validity has expired ...

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Toskovski Reiterates Negative Stand on Xhaferi’s Comments on Documents

Several hours before the adoption of the Electoral Code changes that will enable citizens with documents containing the old constitutional name to vote, on Thursday, caretaker Interior Minister Pance Toskovski again criticised caretaker PM Talat Xhaferi’s stand that there is enough time for citizens to replace documents before the elections. According to him, there is no time to wait because ...

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Parties yet to Finalise MP Candidate Lists

Though the deadline to file MP candidate lists to the State Election Commission (SEC) expires on 2 April, SDSM is still not ruling out the possibility of a pre-election coalition with DUI. SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski said on Wednesday talks with coalition partners were continuing. However, he didn’t clarify whether there were negotiations with DUI, too. SDSM will have list ...

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Personal Documents Issue: Latest Reactions

On Wednesday, caretaker Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said citizens couldn’t enter Montenegro with passports containing the old constitutional name of the country. However, he added that foreign countries had more understanding for North Macedonia’s citizens than the SDSM-DUI government. According to information he’s received from ambassadors and citizens, though citizens cannot enter Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro with personal ...

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