Tetovo, 24 October 2025 (MIA) — At a press conference after the Democratic Union for Integration's leadership held a session at the party's Tetovo headquarters, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti said the DUI-led NAI coalition had won 114,076 votes and 159 councilor seats, and its political opponent Worth It had won 91,000 and 122 councilor seats in the local elections.

"In this process, as well as in the previous parliamentary and presidential elections, we have had Gazimestan syndrome, with the losers emerging as winners," Ahmeti said.

"Is the winner the one who has 159 councilors or 122?" he asked.

Ahmeti said other political parties' election campaigns were based on nationalist propaganda asking Albanians "to flee to Albania or Kosovo" and portraying "this country as belonging to Macedonians only."

"This is, unfortunately, where the motto 'Macedonia, yours again' stemmed from," the DUI leader said.

"We stand and will stand, with the greatest sincerity, for a European Macedonia, good relations between the ethnic communities, zero problems with neighbors," he said, adding that his party served "the future and not the past." 

"There have been all kinds of statements that we are corrupt, criminalized," he said. "I stand before you, the leader of the student movement of 1981. Back then, the Belgrade politics directed by Nikola Pasic called me a nationalist, separatist, irredentist. Modern politics calls me corrupt and criminalized, me and my political party."

Asked by reporters if he would step back from politics, Ahmeti said he did not lose the elections to do so.

"Did you hear who won? Why should I step back from politics? If you want the results, go to the State Election Commission and see," Ahmeti said.

"If you see a single defeat for Ali Ahmeti in these 25 years, then I will step back. Here are the results. We have been winning for 25 years, not just the last three cycles. It was absolutely not a defeat in Tetovo and Struga. On Nov. 2, the game starts from zero," he said, adding that losing the Chair and Saraj mayoral races only meant that "in battles there are also defeats."

In response to a question whether his party would ask for the support of other parties, Ahmeti said, "Mickoski is pulling his partners by the ears. We are open to communicating with anyone for the good of the citizens." 

He also said DUI was committed to "a European state, but without selective justice." mr/