The Right to Participate Should Not Be a Privilege: The Need for Fair Electoral Conditions for Independent Candidates in the Local Elections 2025

The previous Local elections in 2021 saw a record number of independent candidacies and winning seats in municipal councils. With 65,908 votes and 67 mandates, independent lists became the fifth political force in the elections. However, controversial amendments to the Electoral Code, adopted after the elections were called in 2024, introduced a new barrier for independent candidates in local elections—a fixed threshold of 1% signatures from all registered voters in the municipality, significantly raising the requirements for independent candidacy in many municipalities and the City of Skopje.

In May, the Constitutional Court annulled Articles 61 and 62 of the Electoral Code and requested an urgent intervention from Parliament to fill the legal gap. Local elections are planned for October, but the issue of independent candidates remains unresolved. The proposed amendments to the Electoral Code, which are already in parliamentary procedure, in the part concerning the participation of independent candidates and lists on the ballot, contradict the recommendations of ODIHR, the Venice Commission, and directly clash with the Constitutional Court’s decision.

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The Right to Participate Should Not Be a Privilege: The Need for Fair Electoral Conditions for Independent Candidates in the Local Elections 2025