Spring date formally set for North Macedonia parliamentary, presidential elections amid EU bid

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s parliament speaker has formally set early parliamentary and presidential elections in the spring. Following opposition pressure, North Macedonia’s main political parties agreed in December to organize general elections on May 8, two months early. A caretaker government was appointed last month. Whoever forms the next government will face pressure from the European Union to approve unpopular constitutional changes as part of the country’s bid to join the bloc. The main opposition center-right VMRO-DPMNE party had long pressed for early elections, accusing the governing center-left Social Democrats and their junior coalition partners of corruption, nepotism and incompetence.