VMRO-DPMNE defeated SDSM in the parliamentary elections in North Macedonia

VMRO-DPMNE crushed the hitherto ruling Social Democratic Union (SDSM) in the parliamentary elections in North Macedonia, reported a BGNES reporter.
With almost 100% of the ballots counted, the party of Hristijan Mickoski won 58 seats in the new Macedonian parliament. In this way, the formation is very close to the absolute majority, which requires 61 deputies.
Second place was won by the European Front coalition, led by the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), which received 19 mandates.
The previous rulers from the SDSM suffered a heavy electoral defeat, remaining third after VMRO-DPMNE with only 18 parliamentary mandates won.
The Albanian opposition bloc VREDI gets 13 parliamentary seats.
The pro-Russian and pro-Serbian LEFT-6 mandates, the ZNAM movement also won 6 mandates.
Mickoski stated that his party will not forget the promises it made to its voters and said that the citizens will feel the result of the work of the new government (which is expected to be formed by VMRO-DPMNE) within only 100 days.
He added that it is time for SDSM and DUI, which ruled until now, to go into opposition.
"DSI has shown that it is the party that is least interested in Macedonia. It is time for SDSM to come out in opposition. The people taught them a lesson and got their country back. Macedonia will have a future based on values and hope. There is cause for celebration tonight. I remember every promise and I will give the last atom of my strength to fulfill it and not disappoint the people. Tonight it was shown that there is no Macedonia of DUI, no Macedonia of SDSM, nor of VMRO-DPMNE, nor of any political party, there is only one eternal, independent and free Macedonia," said the leader of VMRO-DPMNE.
The SDSM leader and former Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski congratulated the winners and called for internal party elections and an analysis of the heavy loss.
After the results became clear, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti said that "the RSM needs more than ever zero problems with its neighbors and the opening of intergovernmental meetings for the official start of EU membership."
"We were given legitimacy by the citizens, the majority of Albanians and small communities like the Turks, Bosniaks and Roma, to whom I thank. This is the first step towards the long stage of the European front towards full membership in the EU," added Ahmeti./BGNES