Skopje, 19 October 2025 (MIA) - We promised victory and now it's here. This is a triumph of the people. Tonight, Macedonia did not choose a party but a course and a value, it chose people who believe in work not words, said VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski after the first round of the local elections on Sunday.

"This resounding win is only the beginning of the new Macedonian energy - calm, decisive, just. We showed over the past few weeks that politics can have a different face, without insults, anger and hate, but dignity, by looking straight in the eye, by actions and not empty promises. Citizens have recognized and reaffirmed this by a vast majority. Not because of us, but because of themselves, their families and their future, because of Macedonia, Mickoski told a press conference at the party HQ.

According to him, all those who went out and voted for continuation of the changes "know we can do better, that honesty is worth the effort, that work produces results."

"This victory is not a reward but a task that begins with each new day, street, school, factory, hospital... We will accomplish everything with the help of every person who believes it is worth living and dreaming here. We built this victory step by step, without spectacles but perseverance. That is why this victory is not only ours but of all those who believed that the country must move forward, and that we should not wait for the future but create it," said Mickoski.

The road is not easy, he added, but Macedonia has the strength, the people and the will.

"When these three things unite, there is no force that can stop the homeland. That is why we are not celebrating tonight but promise that we will work even harder, so that every vote is turned into a deed, every hope into an outcome. We will not measure the win by numbers but actions. True victory will come when everyone says 'Yes, it was worth it'," said Mickoski.

The VMRO-DPMNE leader said the change should be completed in a fortnight's time.

"This is no time to relax but make the final push, because every vote that stays home is a gift for those who destroyed Macedonia, while every vote that goes out is a step towards the future we are creating together," underlined Mickoski.

Photo: MIA