Much More Than Local Politics: 2025 Local Elections in North Macedonia and their impact on the democratic development and the European integration

In October 2025, municipal elections were held in numerous municipalities across North Macedonia. The ruling coalition secured victories in many of the cities involved, confirming the level of support it had already demonstrated in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

However, the electoral campaign focused more on major national issues, particularly the country’s complex path toward European integration, than on local concerns.

The Brief by Aleksandar Lj. Spasov examines the political context, marked by increasing social polarization along both political and ethnic lines, the election results - once again characterized by low voter turnout - and their impact on the country’s democratic development, including its prospects for integration into the European Union.