The right-leaning ruling party VMRO-DPMNE, led by Prime Minister Christian Mitskoski, achieved a decisive victory in the first round of municipal elections held on Sunday, October 19, 2025, in the Republic of Skopje.
According to official results released by the National Electoral Commission, VMRO-DPMNE secured outright wins in multiple major municipalities, including Bitola/Monastiri, Prilep, Strumica, Ohrid, Veles, Stip, and most surrounding municipalities of Skopje.
In the metropolitan municipality of Skopje, none of the 16 mayoral candidates managed to win an absolute majority in the first round. However, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Orce Gjorgievski leads by a significant margin and is widely expected to be elected mayor in the second round.
Conversely, the opposition Social Democratic Union of the Republic of Skopje (SDSM), led by Venko Filipce, suffered another heavy defeat following its crushing loss in the parliamentary elections of May 2024 and its subsequent loss of power. A clear sign of SDSM’s decline was its defeat in Strumica, traditionally a party stronghold and the birthplace of former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, where the VMRO-DPMNE candidate won comfortably in the first round. Additionally, SDSM’s candidate for the metropolitan municipality of Skopje, Kaja Sukova, placed fourth and is eliminated from the second round.
The elections were held to elect mayors and municipal councils across 80 municipalities of the Republic of Skopje, as well as the metropolitan municipality of Skopje. In cases where no candidate received over 50% of votes, a second round is scheduled for November 2, 2025.
During a press conference late Sunday evening, VMRO-DPMNE leader Mitskoski described the results as a “great victory,” noting that his party had elected mayors in more than 30 municipalities in the first round. “This is a triumph of the people, of the worthy people. Yesterday, the Republic of Skopje chose not a party, but a direction, values, and people who believe in action, not words,” Mitskoski stated.
In Albanian-majority municipalities, the VLEN coalition (“It’s Worth It”), part of the governing Albanian alliance, made significant gains in approximately 15 municipalities, mainly in the western part of the country, in contrast to the opposition “National Alliance for Completion – AKI,” led by the largest Albanian party, DUI, headed by Ali Ahmeti.
In the Cair municipality of Skopje, the largest Albanian-majority district of the capital, VLEN candidate Izet Mezit, who also serves as Vice Prime Minister, defeated AKI candidate and former Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, securing election in the first round. In Tetovo, the largest Albanian-majority municipality of the Republic of Skopje, a second round will be required, though the VLEN candidate maintains a strong lead.
Three smaller western municipalities will hold repeat elections due to low voter turnout, which did not exceed one-third of registered voters. Nationwide, voter participation in the first round was comparatively low at around 48%.
