Ahmeti: North Macedonia needs early elections to change the political climate

Ali Ahmeti, leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), said in an interview on the RTV21 programme "Klik" that early elections are the most appropriate way to change the political situation in North Macedonia.

Ahmeti told the show that creating a new political climate is essential and that further deterioration must be avoided. He said early elections are not expected this year but could take place next year, and that DUI is prepared to contest them at any time.

"The climate must change. I am quite certain that the majority party of Macedonia has also realized that things are not going well. Care must be taken when choosing and respecting the will of the Albanian majority, and the best solution would be early elections. If they were held tomorrow, we would be ready," Ahmeti said.

He warned that North Macedonia stands at a critical junction because of ongoing disputes with neighbouring countries and long-standing domestic problems. Ahmeti listed disagreements with Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia, and said unresolved internal issues continue to drag on.

"North Macedonia is really at a crossroads. We had problems with the Greek side over the name, we have problems with the Bulgarian side, with the Serbian side, and we also have domestic problems, dragging on and dealing with issues that should have been closed. This is a crossroads. I don't know how alert I was then and how sharp I am today, but most accidents happen at crossroads. When you are at a crossroads, you must hold the steering wheel firmly and steer carefully," he added.

Ahmeti framed early elections as a corrective mechanism: a way to reset the political climate and ensure that the will of the Albanian community is respected in future parliamentary decisions. His remarks set out DUI's readiness to take part in a vote if authorities decide to call elections next year.

Photo: press material from the event