#NORTHMACEDONIA: Conservative Opposition Wins Elections

[world politics news]

North Macedonia's conservative opposition party won a decisive victory in the country's dual parliamentary and presidential elections on May 8, according to preliminary results.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a law professor supported by the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, won the presidency by a wide margin, ousting incumbent Social Democrat Stevo Pendarovski.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ALBANIA: Three Balkan Nations Sign Trade Deal

[world politics news]

Five new agreements were signed on Tuesday after a meeting in the Albanian capital Tirana between the leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia as part of the Open Balkan initiative, which aims to replicate the Schengen Zone’s free flow of people, capital and goods, initially between the three countries but potentially across the entire region.

The agreements between the three countries covered labour market access, the interconnection of electronic identification schemes, and cooperation on veterinary medicine and food safety.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NORTHMACEDONIA: Labor Min. Fired After Using The Country's Wrong Name In Press Conference

[world politics news]

The parliament in North Macedonia has fired Labor Minister Rashela Mizrahi for failing to use the country’s new official name during a press conference -- a sensitive issue in the western Balkan nation following a long-standing dispute over the moniker.

Following six hours of debate on February 14, the parliament voted 62-26 to dismiss Mizrahi, a member of the opposition VMRO DPMNE party, part of the caretaker government.

The vote came after Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski submitted a proposal to lawmakers to fire Mizrahi because she violated the constitution by failing to respect the  Prespa agreement and thereby endangering North Macedonia's European integration efforts.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NORTHMACEDONIA: Controversial National Name Change Dominates Election For Largely Ceremonial Presidency

[world politics news]

What would normally be an inconsequential election for the largely ceremonial post of president in North Macedonia has morphed into an unofficial referendum on the June 2018 Prespes Agreement which settled, at least on paper, the name dispute between Greece and its newly-renamed neighbor, North Macedonia.

The country, which lies north of the Macedonia region in Greece, has long fought to keep its similar name, after becoming an independent nation after Yugoslavia broke apart in the early 1990s. Greeks demanded they change their name, saying there was only "one Macedonia."

North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev fought to get the deal with Greece ratified, but this issue still eclipses all others in the presidential election campaign.

While the presidency is largely ceremonial, the president must sign off on legislation and is the supreme commander of the armed forces.  Outgoing President Gjorge Ivanov has on multiple occasions refused to sign off on legislation and was in most cases bypassed.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MACEDONIA: Parliament Adopts "North Macedonia" National Name To End Dispute With Greece

[world politics news]

Macedonia's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to change the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev narrowly secured the two-thirds majority to make the change, aimed at ending a 27-year dispute with Greece, which has its own region called Macedonia. The change opens up possible NATO and you and United Nations memberships.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.