Brvenica: VMRO-DPMNE Claims Victory as SDSM Points to Vote Gain

In the first round of mayoral elections in Brvenica, North Macedonia, the ruling VMRO-DPMNE and opposition SDSM offered different assessments of the results. VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski declared victory at a press conference the previous evening, saying the party's candidate, Stojanče Radičevski, had won by a large margin. Mickoski said the candidate had secured the large majority of votes and that his lead over rivals was more than 4 to 1.

Mickoski also recalled repeated mayoral elections in Mavrovo and Rostuša, and said the Brvenica result showed citizens' support for VMRO-DPMNE's policies. Saying SDSM leadership had expected victory before the vote, he argued the results sent the opposition a clear message from voters.

SDSM, based on initial results from the Analytical Center, published a comparison with the 2025 elections. The party claimed VMRO-DPMNE's votes fell 13 percent while its own rose 46 percent. According to the statement, Radičevski received 2,944 votes this time, compared with 3,388 in 2025. Noting that ZNAM and Levica had backed the VMRO-DPMNE candidate in the previous election, SDSM argued the decline exceeds 20 percent. Its candidate, Jovica Radeski, received 706 votes, up from 481 in 2025. SDSM said the results showed declining support for VMRO-DPMNE and growing trust in SDSM.