Skopje, 6 March 2025 (MIA) – SDSM leader Venko Filipche said late Thursday that the selection of candidates will be finalized by March 15 or 20, and their candidate for mayor of Skopje will be revealed in the second half of April for the upcoming local elections.

“By March 15 or 20, we will finalize the selection of candidates who will undergo surveys, specifically field surveys in their places of residence. By mid-April, I believe most of the candidates will already be known, and they will begin carrying out their own promotional activities with the support of the central party. We have not yet made a decision on the names. This will be the timeline for candidates, both for Skopje mayors and for members of the council lists. By the second half of April, our candidate for mayor of Skopje will likely be revealed,” Filipche told Kanal 5 TV.

As he noted, the initial position, at least up until this time, is that different strategies will be applied for each municipality in terms of coalition-building.

“In that regard, we might support independent candidates with whom we share common values and policies, policies we both trust, to bring together as many people as possible who would vote for capable and qualified individuals,” Filipche said.

In response to a journalist’s question about the possibility of a coalition with VMRO-DPMNE in certain municipalities during the upcoming local elections, Filipche stated that there have been no meetings at that level, but he remains open to all coalition options that would bring benefits to the citizens.

In response to a question about potential future collaboration with DUI, Filipche stated that no offer has been made and that the topic has not been discussed. However, he expressed his view that DUI, with its nationalist rhetoric, is moving closer to VMRO-DPMNE.

New intra-party elections within SDSM are set to take place next week, on March 16. Filipche, as the only candidate, highlighted that their system is open and features a unique voting method in the country, where the entire membership participates in electing the party leader.

Photo: SDSM