Government & politics — North Macedonia

• history: several previous (since 1944); latest adopted 17 November 1991,
• effective 20 November 1991 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by at least 30 members of the Assembly, or by petition of at least 150,000 citizens; final approval requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2019; this amendment was the result of the 2018 Prespa Agreement with Greece, in which the constitutional name of the country would be modified to Republic of North Macedonia in exchange for assurances that Greece would no longer object to its integration in international organizations; note - a referendum on amendments to the constitution is expected in 2024

• chief of state: President Gorda
• na SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (since 12 May 2024) head of government: P
• rime Minister Hristijan MICKOSKI (since 23 June 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the
• Assembly by simple majority vote election/appointment process: president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the Assembly usually elects the leader of the majority party or m
• ajority coalition as prime minister most recent election date: 24
• April and 8 May 2024 election results: 2024: Hristijan MICKOSKI elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 77 for, 22
• against 2024: Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote - Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 69%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 31% 2024: Talat XHAFERI elected caretaker prime minister;
• Assembly vote - 65 for (opposition boycott) 2022: Dimitar KOVACEVSKI elected prime minister;
• Assembly vote - NA expected date of next election: 2029

Description

unicameral Assembly - Sobranie in Macedonian, Kuvend in Albanian (between 120 and 140 seats, currently 120; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; possibility of 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies by simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections

last held on 15 July 2020 (next to be held on 8 May 2024)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party/coalition - We Can! 35.9%, Renewal 34.6%, BDI 11.5%, AfA-Alternative 9%, The Left 4.1%, PDSH 1.5%, other 3.4%
• seats by party/coalition - We Can! 46, Renewal 44, BDI 15, AfA-Alternative 12, The Left 2, PDSH 1;

Composition

men 70, women 50, percent of women 41.7%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Co
• urt (consists of 9 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-
• year terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts

80 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostuse, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci. The Greater Skopje area is comprised of 10 municipalities: Aerodrom, Butel, Centar, Chair, Gazi Baba, Gjorce Petrov, Karposh, Kisela Voda, Saraj, and Shuto Orizari.

• Alliance for Albanians or AfA or ASH [Arben TARAVARI]
• Alternative (Alternativa) or AAA [Afrim GASHI]
• Besa Movement or BESA [Bilal KASAMI]
• Citizen Option for Macedonia or GROM [Stefcho JAKIMOVSKI]
• Democratic Alliance or DS [Pavle TRAJANOV]
• Democratic Movement or LD [Izet MEXHITI]
• Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH [Menduh THACI]
• Democratic Party of Serbs or DPSM [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]
• Democratic Renewal of Macedonia or DOM [Maja MORACHANIN]
• Democratic Union for Integration or BDI [Ali AHMETI]
• European Democratic Party or PDE [Arianit HOXHA]
• Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Hristijan MICKOSKI]
• Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party or VMRO-NP [Ljubco GEORGIEVSKI]
• Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Monika ZAJKOVA]
• New Social-Democratic Party or NSDP [Goran MISOVSKI]
• Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Dimitar KOVACHEVSKI]
• Socialist Party of Macedonia or SPM [Ljupcho DIMOVSKI]
• Srpska Stranka in Macedonia or SSM [Miroslav JOVANOVIC]
• The Left (Levica) [Dimitar APASIEV]
• The People Movement or LP [Skender REXHEPI]
• Turkish Democratic Party or TDP [Beycan ILYAS]
• Turkish Movement Party or THP [Enes IBRAHIM]
• We Can! (coalition includes SDSM/BESA/VMRO-NP, DPT, LDP)

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent mus
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO note: North Macedonia is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

chief of mission

Ambassador Angela AGGELER (since 8 November 2022) embassy: Str. Samoilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje mailing address: 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120

telephone

[389] (2) 310-2000

FAX

[389] (2) 310-2499

Email address and website

• SkopjeACS@state.gov
• https://mk.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Zoran POPOV (since 16 September 2022)

chancery

2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 667-0501

FAX

[1] (202) 667-2131

Email address and website

• washington@mfa.gov.mk

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Detroit, New York