Zoran Zaev announced that by the end of July he will meet with Ali Ahmeti to discuss cooperation between their SDSM and DUI parties in the municipal elections in October. The two parties cooperated in the 2017 municipal elections, and in the 2019 presidential elections.

It is important that we first propose our candidates and then sit down together. That will show that the leaders don’t control the candidates, that we have independent individuals as candidates, Zaev said.

This move could prompt a more formal cooperation agreement between VMRO-DPMNE and the Albanian opposition parties. SDSM hopes that the DUI votes will help them win the capital Skopje and mixed municipalities such as Kumanovo and Gazi Baba, while DUI needs SDSM’s help in Albanian majority municipalities like Tetovo and Gostivar.