Macedonia’s EU ambitions suffer a blow

Ethnic violence marred the first ever early parliamentary elections in Macedonia on 1 June and represented a heavy blow to the country’s aspirations to join the EU and NATO, world agencies reported.

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s conservative VMRO-DPMNE party won the elections, riding on a wave of nationalism over the ‘name dispute’ with Greece. His main rival Radmila Sekerinska from the Social Democratic Union (SDSM) conceded defeat, but added that the price Macedonia had to pay is too high. With 97% of the votes counted, VMRO-DPMNE secured 48.21% against 23.19% for SDSM. Gruevski said he will have over 60 deputies in the 120-seat assembly. 

But the elections took place against a background of ethnic violence. At least one person was killed when violence and gunfire erupted between rival Albanian groups and voting was suspended in 17 polling stations. Several ballot boxes went missing.

“This vote is a tragedy for supporters of Macedonia’s EU and transatlantic future,” Denis McShane, a former UK Minister and current Council of Europe envoy, said in Skopje. He added that the vote would have no legitimacy unless repeated. 

Erwan Foueré, the EU envoy in Macedonia, said the incidents were “deeply disturbing” and stressed “violence and intimidation have no place” in a democratic society. 

The incidents involved the two ethnic Albanian parties, one of which one was the political ally of VMRO-DPMNE until 2006. The Democratic Party of Albanians led by Menduh Thaci had 10.33 percent, while the rival ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration had 11.23 percent. Both Albanian parties are linked to armed groups. Macedonia was on the brink of civil war before it was pacified through the US and EU-sponsored Ohrid agreement of 2001. 

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