Davkova sworn in as president of Northern Macedonia

Gordana Silanovska-Davidkova has sworn in Sunday as Macedonia's first president of northern Macedonia from the country's independence in the years, after winning presidential elections on May 8th.

Davkova defeated the president thus far, Stevo Pendarovski, winning twice as many votes as he did in Wednesday's runoff.

After sworn in during a pre-compliance session in the North Macedonia outreach, Davkova, however, avoided the northern “ “on behalf of the state, just as she had warned during her campaign.

In 2018 an agreement was reached in Prespa with Greece on changing the name from Macedonia to Northern Macedonia, ending multi-year disputes and paving the way for the country's EU and NATO integration efforts.

I will be president of everyone, both left and right of the Assembly; president of all citizens regardless of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation”, Davkova has said.

However, Davkova, in her speech, did not speak of issues dealing with the country's European integration process, which depends on constitutional changes based on an agreement with Bulgaria, but said she would work for “Europeanisation of the country along with other Balkan states”.

Davkova does not support changing the Constitution, but in an interview given to late Radio Europe Free Europe said that if the Assembly adopts constitutional amendments which would enable Bulgarians and five other ethnic minorities to become part of the Macedonian Constitution, it would respect them.

Meanwhile, Davkova said that now “is the time for uniting” and that she would address women, “because we want to show that we care not only about ourselves, but also about all of us. Faith is very important, and I will reason on it. ”

She pledged that her presidential cabinet will reflect the country's ethnic composition, “k will have room for Macedonians, Albanians and representatives of other entities, while their selection will be made based on professional and non-party criteria”.

Representatives of all parliamentary composition parties before the May 8th elections were in the Hall of Parliament.

What are the competencies of the president of North Macedonia?

The president in northern Macedonia has limited competencies.

The president is commander-in-chief of the country's Armed Forces. It decrees the mandate for the formation of the new government, appoints and decrees ambassadors, accepts credentials and letters of revote of foreign diplomatic representatives.

The president's role is also to propose two Constitutional Court judges, as well as two judiciaries, to propose the governor of the People's Bank, to appoint some leaders to security posts.

The president also has the right to pardon in line with the legal provisions, as well as performs other functions defined with the Macedonian Constitution. / REL