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Northern Macedonia: Rapid political developments – Zaef’s resignation and scenarios for the next day

Stormy developments are underway in Northern Macedonia after the overwhelming defeat of Zoran Zaef’s ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM) in second round of municipal elections held yesterday Sunday.

THE Zoran Zaef Late last night he stated that retakes responsibility for the defeat of his party and resigns as Prime Minister of the country and the leader of his party.

Zoran Zaef took over as the country’s prime minister in May 2017. He has been the leader of the SDSM since 2013.

In yesterday’s second round of municipal elections, Zoran Zaef’s party suffered heavy defeat, both in the metropolitan municipality of Skopje and in all the other large municipalities in the country where ballot boxes were set up for the second round.

The big winner in the municipal elections was the right-wing opposition VMRO-DPMNE, whose leader, Christian MickowskiLate last night, he said that the government of Zoran Zaef had lost the trust of the people and claimed that the country now has the conditions to call early parliamentary elections.

What does Zaef’s resignation mean – Scenarios for the next day

However, the resignation of Zoran Zaef from the post of Prime Minister does not necessarily mean the holding of early parliamentary elections in Northern Macedonia, AMPE reports. Mr. Zaef himself, in his resignation statement, reiterated that the current government still has 2.5 years to complete her term and must continue her work.

The current government retains a parliamentary majority, albeit a small one (supported by 62 of the 120 members of the country’s legislature). Therefore, the largest party in the ruling coalition, the SDSM, in consultation with its governing partners, may appoint a new prime minister, who should secure a vote of confidence from Parliament.

However, it is not ruled out that one – or some – of the smaller parties in the ruling coalition may decide to lift confidence in the current government and “switch” to the opposition and VMRO-DPMNE, which, in this case, could lead a new government without elections.

In case neither of the two scenarios “succeeds”, early parliamentary elections will be called in the country. In this case, according to the current legislation, a caretaker government must be formed 100 days before the elections, which will lead the country to the elections.

The only thing for sure is that as of today, the Northern Macedonia has a resigning government.

Yesterday elections A total of 44 municipalities were judged, the most important being the Skopje metropolitan municipality (700,000 inhabitants), in which the candidate Danella Arsovska, independent but openly supported by VMRO-DPMNE, prevailed with a difference of 14 percentage points of the outgoing mayor of Skopje and again SDSM, by Petre Silegov.

VMRO-DPMNE also prevailed in other major municipalities in the country, such as Bitola (Monastery) and Ohrid, while in Kumanovo, the second largest municipality in the country, an SDSM “guerrilla” prevailed.

In the Albanian political camp, Ali Ahmeti’s DUI, the largest Albanian party in northern Macedonia, also suffered a heavy defeat in the country’s largest “Albanian” municipality: in Tetovo, where Teuta Arifi’s candidate was defeated by the leader of the smaller Albanian ruling party. BESA, Bilal Kasami.

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