Des élections sans incident confortent la candidature de la Macédoine à l’UE[en] 

The latest European Commission progress reports on candidate and potential candidate countries Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo under UNMIK, show that these countries are still a long way away from getting clear perspectives for EU accession (EurActiv 06/11/08). 

Indeed, candidate country Macedonia appears to have taken a step backwards, since violence during early elections held last June (EurActiv 02/06/08) prompted the Commission to press the country to comply with the Copenhagen political criteria for EU accession. Representatives of the EU executive had repeatedly warned that Macedonia's elections would be strictly observed in the context of the country's EU bid. 

The Commission denies it is getting tough with Macedonia as a result of a name dispute with Greece. But Macedonia recently failed to seize an opportunity to compromise on the dispute based on the last of a series of proposals by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz. The country's hardline Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski also irked Greece with requests to promote the rights of the Macedonian minority in Greece (EurActiv 17/07/08). 

EU envoy Erwan Fouere praised the vote. "The elections took place in a calm atmosphere, and we commend the members of the electoral boards and citizens of this country who, despite the harsh weather, came out to vote," he said. 

Fouere added that an assessment report would be issued today by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the polls. 

There were seven candidates seeking the presidency. Gjorge Ivanov, a politics professor from Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's centre-right VMRO-DPMNE party, had been leading in opinion polls. Local elections for mayors and city councils were also held. 

If provisional results are confirmed, Ivanov will compete against socialist candidate Ljubomir Frckovski in the run-off on 5 April. 

The international community had warned that if Macedonia's elections were not fair and peaceful, then the country risked losing the chance to begin membership talks with the European Union and NATO. 

The West feared the vote could produce scenes reminiscent of last year's parliamentary elections, which descended into chaos and violence. One person was killed and nine were wounded. 

Despite progress on ethnic relations, the country is still largely poor, unstable and economically hampered by a 17-year dispute with Greece. Greece objects to the name Macedonia because it is also the name of its northernmost province, and it vetoed Macedonia's entry into NATO in 2008. 

Heavy snowfall prevented 103 polling stations from opening. Aleksandar Novakovski, president of the state election commission, said voting would be rescheduled in the affected areas. 

(EurActiv with Reuters.)