North Macedonia’s parliament prepares to vote on a proposed center-right government

SKOPIE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia’s parliament began a two-day debate ahead of a vote on the proposed new government. by a center-right party that won the national elections in May.

Leading the proposed government is Hristijan Mickoski, a 46-year-old former engineering professor who has vowed to continue the efforts of his center-left predecessors to guide the small Balkan member of NATO toward the European Union.

But Mickoski’s more nationalistic tone could alienate them. neighboring Bulgaria and Greece, both EU members with the power to hinder their country’s access to the 27-nation bloc.

Mickoski is expected to easily win Sunday’s vote, having won the support of 78 lawmakers in the 120-seat chamber.

His VMRO-DPMNE party leads a coalition that won just over 43% of the vote in the May 8 election, winning 58 seats, three short of a governing majority. Mickoski reached a coalition deal with the ethnic Albanian party Vredi, or Worth, and the small leftist ZNAM, securing a comfortable majority.

Under the agreement, VMRO-DPMNE will have 15 ministerial positions, while Vredi and ZNAM will get six and two, respectively.

Mickoski served as an advisor on energy affairs to the previous VMRO-DPMNE government in 2015-2017.

His main internal challenges in government will include improving the rule of law while tackling corruption and poverty and reviving a stagnant economy.

But the main issue will be North Macedonia’s path to the EU, which is being blocked by Bulgaria over its demands that the candidate amend its constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority. The previous center-left government promised to make the change, but VMRO-DPMNE has denounced the promise as a “capitulation (to) Bulgarian diktats.”

North Macedonia joined NATO in 2019, following a historic agreement with Greece that ended a decades-long dispute over cultural heritage and history and saw the small country change its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia. But VMRO-DPMNE has already made clear its displeasure at the deal, which could jeopardize Athens’ support for its neighbor’s EU membership.

North Macedonia’s new president, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, a VMRO-DPMNE candidate, irritated Greek and EU officials by calling her country Macedonia when she was formally sworn in. She later insisted that she had a “human right” to refer to her country as she wanted.

Mickoski recently said he will use the new constitutional name, North Macedonia, during the oath of office and at all official meetings and events. But he added that he would limit himself to Macedonia in informal communications.

EU membership negotiations with North Macedonia and fellow candidate Albania began in 2022 and the process is expected to take years.

According to parliamentary rules, the vote on the government must take place before midnight on Sunday.