VMRO-DPMNE

The resounding victory of North Macedonia's conservative VMRO-DPMNE candidate Gordana Siljanovska (41.2% to 20.5%) over the country's outgoing president Stevo Pendarovski, who is supported by the Socialist Party, in the first round of the presidential election elections is a very clear reflection of a general upward nationalist trend in the neighboring country.

The presidential election landscape in North Macedonia is poised for a runoff between Gordana Siljanovska, representing VMRO-DPMNE, and Stevo Pendarovski, backed by SDSM, following the release of partial results by the State Electoral Commission. With 98.18 percent of the protocols processed, Siljanovska leads with 40.20 percent of the vote, compared to Pendarovski's 20 percent.

North Macedonian presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova held a big lead over incumbent Stevo Pendarovski with votes counted from 99.03% of polling stations on Thursday, but both were short of the 50% backing needed to win outright.

The debate surrounding the inclusion of Bulgarians in North Macedonia's constitution, a crucial precondition for the country's European Union accession talks, has taken center stage in the ongoing presidential campaign. As candidates vie for support, their stances on this contentious issue highlight diverging perspectives within the political landscape.

Voters in North Macedonia head to the polls on Wednesday for the first round of presidential elections, in a test vote that could define the country's EU perspective.

The leader of the main opposition party in North Macedonia has said that if elected prime minister, he would refer to the country solely as "Macedonia," regardless of the 2018 Prespes Agreement that settled the dispute with Greece over the country's name.

Amidst the political fervor preceding the upcoming parliamentary elections in North Macedonia on May 8, VMRO-DPMNE, the main opposition party, has proposed a postponement of constitutional changes regarding the inclusion of Bulgarians. The announcement came from Timco Mucunski, deputy chairman of VMRO-DPMNE, during the presentation of the party's program for the impending elections.

Political statements originating from Skopje regarding the potential integration of Macedonians into the Bulgarian constitution have ignited a diplomatic dispute between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

BUCHAREST - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic attended on Wednesday a European People's Party (EPP) congress in Bucharest, where she also held several important meetings.

Before the congress, Brnabic had a cordial encounter with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

North Macedonia 's parliament speaker on Wednesday formally set early parliamentary and presidential elections in the spring as the country makes a bid to join the European Union.

Following opposition pressure, North Macedonia's main political parties agreed in December to organize general elections on May 8, two months early. A caretaker government was appointed last month.