North Macedonia polls to test EU drive

Voters in North Macedonia head to the polls on Wednesday for the first round of presidential elections, in a test vote that could define the country's EU perspective.

The tiny Balkan country changed its name in 2018, after signing the Prespes Agreement with Greece, in a process set to open its accession path to NATO and the EU. Even though it managed to join NATO in 2020, the EU accession stalled for a number of reasons, including a dispute with Bulgaria over language and cultural heritage and EU enlargement fatigue.

Opinion polls indicate that the conservative main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party maintains a lead in polls and is expected to replace the social democrat SDSM, who have run the country since 2017, even though a coalition will be needed in order to form a government.

Seven candidates are contesting on Wednesday, but the two front-runners are incumbent...