Brvenica local elections spark debate over ethnic voting

As the second round of mayoral elections in Brvenica approaches, political leaders in North Macedonia are debating the role of ethnic identity in voting. Speaker of the Assembly Afrim Gashi and Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski have both urged citizens to vote based on candidate competence and program implementation rather than ethnic affiliation.

Mickoski cautioned residents against being divided by politicians seeking to save their own political futures, emphasizing that citizens must continue to live together regardless of ethnicity. Gashi noted that while ethnic voting persists in rural areas, local governance issues such as water supply, sewage, and infrastructure should be the primary focus.

In contrast, the Albanian League party criticized Gashi, accusing him of denying the Albanian national cause by labeling the push for an Albanian candidate as provincialism. The runoff will feature Stojanco Radicevski of VMRO-DPMNE and Arkin Jahij of DUI, following the first round where Radicevski received 2,945 votes and Jahij received 2,152 votes.