EUPopLink Country report - North Macedonia

This country report examines the relationship between Euroscepticism and populism in North Macedonia, focusing on the political supply side. The analysis draws on electoral programs, expert surveys, public statements, and public opinion research. The report identifies two political parties that combine populist appeals with Eurosceptic positions: the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE and the far-left Levica. VMRO-DPMNE, a long-standing mainstream party, exhibits soft and equivocal Euroscepticism, primarily rooted in nativist concerns over perceived concessions to Macedonian national identity demanded by the EU accession process. Its populism is characterized by people-centrism framed in ethnocentric terms and strategic anti-elitism directed at domestic political rivals. Levica represents a case of hard Euroscepticism, openly opposing EU membership and advocating alignment with alternative geopolitical blocs. The party combines left-wing socio-economic appeals with a pronounced nativist discourse, drawing on populist themes that resonate across ideological extremes. Despite their shared reliance on nativist sentiments, the two parties differ significantly in their ideological grounding and do not coordinate their Eurosceptic stances. Although support for EU accession remains a majority position, it has declined in recent years due to the country’s protracted accession process, marked by successive blockades from Greece and Bulgaria, as well as the rise of identity-based politics. Hard Euroscepticism remains broadly dismissed by mainstream political actors and civil society, yet Eurosceptic narratives have gained traction, particularly when linked to perceptions of the EU’s role in matters central to Macedonian identity and sovereignty. Although none of the remaining parties exhibit explicit Euroscepticism, all employ populist rhetoric, within which the populism–Euroscepticism nexus in North Macedonia is primarily structured around the defense of ethnic Macedonian interests. Further delays in the accession process may intensify Eurosceptic sentiment framed through ethnocentric and populist appeals.