North Macedonia
Sharing the northern border with Greece, North Macedonia held their primary elections on April 24, 2024. North Macedonia became an independent nation in 1991 once it peacefully succeeded from communist Yugoslavia following the collapse of Soviet era communism. The country became a member of NATO in 2005 and is a candidate for joining the European Union (EU).
Presidential elections were initially held on April 25, 2024, where Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova of the VMRO-DPMNE won 40% of the votes against current North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski. Pendarovski ran as a social democratic, the nation’s current ruling party, but only secured 20% of the votes.
During the second round of North Macedonia’s presidential election cycle held on May 8, 2024, Siljanovska-Davkova won by 69% against the previous presidential incumbent, Pendaroski. Silkanovska-Davkova was sworn in on May 12, 2024, as the nation’s 6th president.
North Macedonia is a Parliamentary Republic where a Prime Minister also serves as the head of the government. The republic has three branches, similar to the United States, with a legislative, executive, and judicial branch. In theory, acting as checks and balances for each other.
However, the Economist Newspaper, also known as the Economist Group, headquartered in London, rates North Macedonia as a “flawed democracy.” Although North Macedonia has a free and fair election involving its political representatives and citizens, the nation suffers from media infringement and slight suppression of alternative political viewpoints, according to The Economist Democracy Index.
The index is based on 60 questions broken into five categories: Electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, government functioning, political participation and political culture.
North Macedonia scored, on average, 6 out of 10, placing it in the 72nd position worldwide. For reference, the United States is 29th and has a “flawed democracy” as well, averaging a 7.8 to 8.5 out of 10. Its northern neighbor Canada scored 8.7 to 9.15 out of 10 and is 13th worldwide for a free, fair, full democracy. Norway is ranked at number 1, scoring 9.9 to 10 on average and is classified as a “full democracy.”
By Alexander Fernandez
Comments