The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung conference in Skopje held yesterday presented the prospect of a major opposition bloc led by VMRO-DPMNE and its President Hristijan Mickoski, and joined by Ziadin Sela and Afrim Gashi from the AA and Alternative parties. It is also a rare initiative from VMRO-DPMNE to form what is shaping up to be a pre-election coalition with parties representing ethnic Albanians. VMRO has traditionally won the elections among ethnic Macedonians and then picked an Albanian partner, but moves from its main rival SDSM to rely more and more on Albanian votes are now causing a similar development on the right.

Together with our friend in Macedonia, the Alliance of Albanians and Alternative, we can contribute to quick progress of our country on the path to Euro-integrations and reforms. We are united in our conservative ideology and in our committment to reforms, Mickoski said, adding that the coalition will also have a strong anti-corruption angle, given the huge number of scandals plaguing the ruling SDSM – DUI coalition.

The parties are also coalescing over the push to postpone mayoral elections in Stip and Plasnica, the municipalities which SDSM and DUI plan to win hoping that the huge spike in coronavirus cases will discourage voter turnout. VMRO is competing to win Stip, where it bested SDSM during the July 15 general elections, while The Alliance and Alternative are hoping to beat DUI in Plasnica. A number of other smaller opposition parties have joined the calls that the elections are postponed, especially given that the regular term for municipal elections is in November. The growing conservative coalition is likely to come up with a plan to cooperate ahead of these elections, especially if DUI and SDSM do the same.

We are interested to cooperate and we will inform the public, including on the coming municipal elections, Sela said. When pressed by journalists on the fact that he was badly beaten during the April 2017 incident in the Parliament, Sela noted that the incident was organized by former security chief Saso Mijalkov – “who is now in coalition with SDSM”.

Mickoski already managed to integrate a number of smaller parties on the right, such as much of Integra, which won over 10,000 votes in July using an outlandish social media campaign, and FRODEM. VMRO is calling for the creation of a broad Government, that would manage the twin crisis of the coronavirus epidemic and the veto from Bulgaria, and would then prepare early elections.