“Rocker on TikTok”: Who is Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, the winner of the first round of the presidential elections in North Macedonia? – The world

As announced by the State Election Commission (SEC), Siljanovska Davkova received 324,177 or 39.97 percent, and Stevo Pendarovski 161,393 votes or 19.9 percent.

On Sunday, in the first round of the seventh consecutive presidential election since the country’s independence, Macedonian citizens chose between seven candidates.

The second round of presidential elections in North Macedonia will be held together with parliamentary elections on Wednesday, May 8.

Five years ago, Pendarovski and Siljanovska Davkova faced off in the second round of elections, when Stevo Pendarovski won the presidency. However, the difference in results between the two candidates in 2019 was significantly smaller – Pendarovski (42.85 percent); Siljanovska Davkova (42.24 percent).

Davkova admitted that it was the result of the first round of elections “incredibly inspiring” and that this is the beginning of a new era.

She announced that (if she is elected president) she will cooperate with the party that nominated her, but also with the opposition, with non-governmental organizations, and with the media.

“I assure you that I will try every day to prove that I am there not because of my political career, but because of Macedonia,” said the candidate of the Macedonian conservative opposition party VMRO DPMNE.

She added that in the second round of the election, she will behave with due respect to whoever she will have to compete with.

“Of course I expect the same kind of relationship. I think we should not cast a shadow over what happened today, we should inspire the citizens, to convince them that it is worth going to the polls, to hear that we are proud, especially of the citizens, and without the citizens there is no proud (proud) Macedonia,” she said. is Gordana Siljanovska Davkova.

The election comes amid a two-year standoff between the government and the opposition over how to deal with neighboring Bulgaria blocking its path to EU membership.

Sofia has refused to support the opening of accession talks between Skopje and the EU until North Macedonia recognizes the small Bulgarian minority in the constitution.

Pendarovski and SDSM are ready to introduce amendments, but they lack the votes for it in the parliament.

The VMRO-DPMNE party says constitutional changes can only happen after North Macedonia joins the EU, a position the government says is unrealistic.

Who is Gordana Siljanovski Davkova?

Wife, mother, professor, activist, expert, vegetarian, rocker – in this order of words, Davkova introduced herself on the social network X. In an interview for Radio Free Europe Macedonia before the first round, she said, among other things, that Russian influence exists in her country, but it is very small.

He refuses to be associated with former VMRO DPMNE officials who ended up on the American blacklist, among others the fugitive former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who found refuge in Orban’s Hungary.

North Macedonia, she said, was proud for the last time before the signing of the Prespa Agreement.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was born on May 11, 1953 in Ohrid. She completed her primary and secondary education in Skopje. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje in 1978, where she received her master’s degree. She received her doctorate at the University of Ljubljana.

She was elected as an assistant professor at the Political System course at the Faculty of Law in Skopje (1989), and an associate professor at the Constitutional Law and Political System course (1994).

She became a full professor in 2004. She was a member of the Constitutional Commission of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia (1990–1992) and a minister without portfolio in Branko Crvenkovski’s first cabinet (1992–1994). She also worked as a UN expert and vice president of the Council of Europe’s Independent Group for Local Self-Government. She was also a member of the Venice Commission. He is the author of hundreds of scientific works on constitutional law and the political system.

In the period 2017-2018, as a public figure, she opposed the adoption of the law on the expansion of the Albanian language. Five years ago, after being nominated as the VMRO-DPMNE candidate for president, she promised that, if she won, she would launch a second referendum and restore the country’s old name.

She also has a profile on TikTok where she is very active.

She is married to Blagoj and they have two children.