© Screenshot, YouTube
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Danela Arsovska took power in Skopje a week after her run-off election urged Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to resign. Her election was a symbol of efforts to turn a local vote into an event of national significance. This was the first time the ruling party purposefully led (albeit for a short time) a campaign, playing with anti-Bulgarian sentiments.
Apart from being the head of the Union of Chambers of Commerce of Northern Macedonia, she was also the honorary consul of Hungary, appointed by a decree of the previous government.
The Social Democratic Union (SDSM) announced two weeks ago that she also has Bulgarian citizenship, and according to the documents, she is registered in Petrich. She denies, although a reference on the website of the Ministry of Interior speaks of the validity of both her ID card and that of her husband (albeit with the name Daniela instead of Danela).
Arsovska is the first female mayor of Skopje since Macedonian independence. Before that, in 1948, the city was ruled by Vera Atseva, but then Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia. Until now, the capital was in the hands of the Social Democrat Petre Shilegov.
Since 2016, Arsovska has been a representative in the National Council for European Integration of Northern Macedonia.
From the city of Skopje to the national institutions
Arsovska was a formally independent candidate, but in practice she was backed by VMRO-DPMNE, which hopes to come to power at the national level as well.
On Friday, its leader, Hristian Mickoski, announced that a new majority had been convened to vote no confidence in Zoran Zaev’s cabinet after one of the Albanian coalition partners seceded. Nearly 72 hours later, the bid was to be confirmed after another potential coalition partner of Mickoski withdrew and demanded that the small Left Party withdraw from the future union.
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