Longtime EU hopeful North Macedonia holds presidential polls centered on bloc accession, rule of law

Presidential elections are being held in North Macedonia. The small Balkan country has orbited the European Union for nearly two decades with little to show for its efforts to join the bloc. A second round of voting is almost certain to follow on May 8, coinciding with parliamentary elections. That's because no candidate is expected to exceed the 50% threshold required for outright victory. The latest poll has given opposition-backed Gordana Siljanovska Davkova a 3.6 percentage-point lead over incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski. About 320 international observers will monitor the election and the first results are expected early Thursday.