Social Democratic Union of Macedonia

Social Democratic Union of Macedonia

Социјалдемократски сојуз на Македонија
Lidhja Socialdemokrate e Maqedonisë
Social Democratic Union of Macedonia Социјалдемократски сојуз на Македонија; Lidhja Socialdemokrate e Maqedonisë
Leader	Zoran Zaev
Secretary-General
Deputy Leader	Radmila Šekerinska
Founder	Branko Crvenkovski
Founded	April 20, 1991
Headquarters	Skopje
Youth wing	Social Democratic Youth of Macedonia
Ideology	Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
National affiliation	We Can
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists (associate)
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
Colours	Red and white
Assembly	31 / 120
Mayors	57 / 81
Party flag
Website
	www.sdsm.org.mk
	Politics of North Macedonia; Political parties; Elections;

The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (Macedonian: Социјалдемократски сојуз на Македонија–СДСМ, Socijaldemokratski Sojuz na Makedonija–SDSM) is a social-democratic^[2] political party, and the main centre-left^[3] party in North Macedonia.^[4] The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia was founded on 20 April 1991 at the 11th Congress of the League of Communists of Macedonia, when it was transformed into the SDSM. Branko Crvenkovski was elected as the party's first president. Its current leader is Zoran Zaev. The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia is a member of the Progressive Alliance and an associate affiliate of the Party of European Socialists (PES). The party supported a practical solution to the Macedonian naming dispute with Greece, which succeeded under the Prespa agreement.

From September 1992 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2006 the SDSM was the largest party in the parliament and the main party in the government, and has shown a moderate and re-conciliatory attitude towards ethnic minorities in North Macedonia. On the first parliamentary elections in 1990, the party finished second behind VMRO-DPMNE and was part of the national unity government from 1991 to 1992. From 1992 to 1994 SDSM was in a coalition government with the Liberal Party and the Socialist Party. SDSM won the parliamentary elections in 1994 and 2002 and won the most municipalities at the local elections in 1996, 2000 and 2005. From September 2006 to December 2016 SDSM was the biggest opposition party in the parliament. On early parliamentary elections in late 2016, SDSM led the center to left-wing coalition "For life in Macedonia" and won ~440,000 votes and 49/120 MPs in the Macedonian assembly, the second best result in the party's history, after the win at the parliament elections in 2002; SDSM lost the popular vote to VMRO-DPMNE who won ~450,000 votes and gained 51 parliamentary seats. However, SDSM managed to form a government coalition with various minority parties.

History and election results[]

Old party flag.

The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia was established on 20 April 1991. Its roots can be traced to 1943 upon the formation of the Communist Party of Macedonia (KPM) during World War II in the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. The KPM became the League of Communists of Macedonia in 1952 and was the ruling party of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.

The party lost the 1998 elections, but at the legislative elections, 15 September 2002, the party became the strongest party winning 60 out of 120 seats in the Assembly of Macedonia as the major party of the Together for Macedonia alliance, led by SDSM and the Liberal Democratic Party. Together for Macedonia ruled in coalition with the Democratic Union for Integration.

The longstanding former leader of the party was Branko Crvenkovski, who served as prime minister of Macedonia from 1992 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2004. Crvenkovski was then elected on the Social Democratic ticket to become President of Macedonia a post that he held until May 2009. The Presidency was handed to Vlado Bučkovski, who was the party leader and Prime Minister until the 2006 Parliamentary elections. The SDSM is a member of the Progressive Alliance and an associate affiliate of the Party of European Socialists (PES). On 30 November 2005 one of the most prominent members of the SDSM, Tito Petkovski, who ran for president in 1999 and came in second place, left the party to form the New Social Democratic Party. This is the second major split from the SDSM, the first one being the 1993 split of , who has established the Democratic Party.

At the parliamentary elections in North Macedonia held in 2008, the coalition Sun (of which SDSM was the leading party) was defeated, receiving 27 of the 120 seats. At the last local elections from 2009, the Social Democrats won in 8 out of 84 municipalities in the country.^[5] The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia is the second largest political party and the main opposition party in the country. In May 2009, after finishing the 5-year-term of President of the Republic of Macedonia, Branko Crvenkovski returned to the SDSM and was reelected leader of the party. He reorganized the party profoundly,^[6] but resigned after the party's defeat in the 2013 local elections. In June 2013, Zoran Zaev was elected as the new leader.

The party was defeated in the 2014 general elections by the VMRO–DPMNE, but the results were not recognized and the opposition parties boycotted the Parliament. From February to May 2015 Zaev released wiretapped material that alleged Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski for illegally spying more than 20,000 citizens. In May, large protests including SDSM members began in Skopje. Large crowds gathered to protest on May 17, demanding resignation from Gruevski, who refused to step down and organized a pro-government rally the following day. The number of protesters was estimated to be more than 40,000. Zaev claimed the number of protesters reached 100,000, and said that some of them will remain there until Gruevski resigns. European Union diplomats offered to mediate a solution to the crisis. The political crisis was exceeded with the Pržino Agreement from July 2015, which obliged a transitional government with SDSM from November 2015, resignation from Gruevski in January 2016, and an early parliament elections on 11 December 2016. On the elections on 11 December 2016 the party won almost 440 000 and 49 MP which was the second best result in SDSM's history, after the result from 2002. In February 2017, Zaev began negotiations with junior partners to form parliament majority.

Prior to the 2020 parliamentary elections, the party rebranded, changing its logo to be similar to other European social-democratic parties, and changing its primary colour to red.

Party leaders[]

The old logo of SDSM.

Branko Crvenkovski (1991–2004)
Vlado Bučkovski (2004–2006)
Radmila Šekerinska (2006–2008)
Zoran Zaev (2008–2009)
Branko Crvenkovski (2009–2013)
Zoran Zaev (2013–present)

Electoral history[]

Presidential electoral history of Social Democratic Union of Macedonia
Election	Party candidate	Votes	%	Votes	%	Result
Election	Party candidate	First Round		Second Round		Result
1994	Kiro Gligorov	715,087	78.4%	-	-	Elected Y
1999	Tito Petkovski	343,606	33.1%	513,614	46.8%	Lost N
2004	Branko Crvenkovski	385,347	42.5%	550,317	62.6%	Elected Y
2009	Ljubomir Frčkoski	202,691	20.54%	264,828	36.86%	Lost N
2014	Stevo Pendarovski	326,164	38.56%	398,077	42.67%	Lost N
2019	Stevo Pendarovski	322,581	44.75%	436,212	53.59%	Elected Y

Assembly electoral history of Social Democratic Union of Macedonia
Election	Party leader	In coalition with	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
Election	Party leader	In coalition with	(Coalition totals)		(Coalition totals)		Position	Government
1990	Branko Crvenkovski	None	220,748	27.70%	31 / 120	31	2nd	Government
1994		LPM-SPM	329,700	53.50%	95 / 120	64	1st	Government
1998		None	279,799	25.14%	30 / 120	60	2nd	Opposition
2002		LDP-DPT-DLB-USR-DPD	494,744	41.58%	60 / 120	33	1st	Government
2006	Vlado Bučkovski	LDP-DPT-DLB-USR-DPD	218,164	23.31%	32 / 120	30	2nd	Opposition
2008	Radmila Šekerinska	NSDS-LDP- LPM	233,284	23.64%	27 / 120	5	2nd	Opposition
2011	Branko Crvenkovski	NSDP-NSDP-SEB-LPM-SPS-PPER-UTLS-SSD	368,496	32.78%	42 / 120	15	2nd	Opposition
2014	Zoran Zaev	NSDP-LDP-UM-SPER	283,955	26.22%	34 / 120	8	2nd	Opposition
2016		NSDP-LDP-DOM-SPER	436,981	37.87%	49 / 120	15	2nd	Government
2020		"We Can" BESA-NSDP-LDP-VMRO–NP-DOM-DS-TDP--POPGM	327,408	35.89%	46 / 120	3	1st	Government

References[]

^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "North Macedonia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "North Macedonia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
^ Gardner, Andrew (23 May 2014). "Convincing election win for prime minister of Macedonia". POLITICO Europe.
^ Janusz Bugajski (2002). Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 739–. ISBN 978-1-56324-676-0. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
^ Vecer newspaper Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
^ Makfax Independent News Agency

External links[]

Official website

[1] Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "North Macedonia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 16 July 2020.

[2] Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "North Macedonia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 16 July 2020.

[3] Gardner, Andrew (23 May 2014). "Convincing election win for prime minister of Macedonia". POLITICO Europe.

[Bugajski2002-4] Janusz Bugajski (2002). Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 739–. ISBN 978-1-56324-676-0. Retrieved 6 February 2013.

[5] Vecer newspaper Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine

[6] Makfax Independent News Agency

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show v t Political parties in North Macedonia
We Can (46 seats)	SDSM Besa Movement VMRO – People's Party New Social Democratic Party Liberal Democratic Party United for Macedonia Democratic Renewal of Macedonia Party for a European Future Democratic Union POPGM Dignity New Alternative Party for Economic Changes 21 Social and Economic Progress Party Party of Pensioners United Party for Roma Equality Party for the Full Emancipation of the Roma of Macedonia Union of Roma in Macedonia Party for Democratic Prosperity of the Roma Serbian Party in Macedonia Democratic Party of Turks Party for the Movement of the Turks in Macedonia Democratic Union of Vlachs in Macedonia
Renewal (44 seats)	VMRO-DPMNE Socialist Party of Macedonia Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia Citizen Option for Macedonia Party of United Democrats of Macedonia MAAK – Conservative Party – Macedonian Action Union of Tito's Left Forces New Liberal Party Workers-Peasant Party from Macedonia Democratic Bosniak Party Party of the Democratic Action of Macedonia Roma Democratic Forces Roma Integration Party Roma United by Macedonia Democratic Party of Roma Serbian Progressive Party in Macedonia Movement for National Unity of the Turks in Macedonia Party of the Vlachs from Macedonia
Other parties	Democratic Union for Integration (15) Alliance for Albanians–Alternative (12) The Left (2) Democratic Party of Albanians (1)
Without MPs	Albanian Democratic Union Communist Party of Macedonia (within The Left) Democratic Alternative Democratic League of Bosniaks Liberal Party of Macedonia National Democratic Party National Democratic Revival New Democracy Party for Democratic Prosperity Social Democratic Party United Party of Roma in Macedonia Integra-Macedonian Conservative Party Macedonian Renewal Reform Option – Workers' Party People's Movement for Macedonia – United Macedonia
Defunct	Democratic Party Democratic Party of Macedonia Movement for All-Macedonian Action Party of Democratic Action–Islamic Path Party of Yugoslavs in Macedonia People's Democratic Party Workers Party Young Democratic-Progressive Party
Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of North Macedonia