North Macedonia holds presidential and parliamentary elections Wednesday

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Voters in Northern Macedonia go to the polls Wednesday for a double election — presidential and parliamentary. Center-right candidates are favored to win both contests, which have focused in part on the country’s long struggle to join the European Union. The opposition center-right has pushed back against neighboring Bulgaria’s conditions for North Macedonia’s membership. With the presidency being a largely ceremonial post and the prime minister wielding the real power, the election for the 120-seat unicameral parliament is considered more important. The center-right VMRO-DPMNE party, at the head of a coalition of 22 parties, is considered the favorite over the ruling social democrats.