North Macedonia's ruling coalition leads in municipal election results

North Macedonia's governing coalition has established a commanding position in municipal elections, leading in most constituencies according to preliminary results released by the State Election Commission. The ruling alliance appears poised to consolidate local authority across the Balkan nation following Sunday's voting.

Election Results Breakdown

With approximately 70% of ballots counted, the VMRO-DPMNE led bloc dominates most electoral districts while the opposition Social Democratic Union alliance leads in only nine municipalities. The ruling coalition's partner VLEN maintains advantages in eight districts, with the Turkish Democratic Party securing one municipal victory despite one result being invalidated due to insufficient voter participation.

Key Municipal Races

In the capital Skopje, VMRO-DPMNE candidates hold a substantial lead with 41.23% of counted votes. Deputy Prime Minister Izet Mexhiti declared victory in Cair municipality over former Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, highlighting significant contests within the governing coalition. The election commission reported nationwide voter participation at 46.65%, reflecting moderate engagement in the local polls.

Runoff Elections and Observation

Municipalities where no candidate achieved an absolute majority will conduct second-round voting on November 2. The electoral process included 10,490 candidates competing for positions, with 309 mayoral contenders participating. International observation missions included two officials from Türkiye's Supreme Election Council among 644 foreign observers monitoring the proceedings.