The Countdown Begins: Local Elections 2025

The local elections in North Macedonia are officially set for 19 October 2025, and the race is intensifying. More candidates formally were announced across multiple municipalities, further energizing the political scene. Campaign activities are increasingly visible both in media outlets and on social platforms, where candidates seek to shape narratives and mobilize supporters well ahead of the official voting date.

Media Spotlights and Digital Waves: Who’s Getting Noticed?

During this period, Izet Mexhiti, VLEN coalition candidate for Chair emerged as one of the most visible figures, with 588 media articles and 27,730 engagements. His coverage is spread across different media outlets, while his Facebook posts continue to generate steady interaction. Orce Gjorgjievski, VMRO-DPMNE candidate for Grad Skopje, with 68 media mentions and over 22,000 engagements, remains a key player, though his traditional media presence is more limited than some of his competitors.

Boban Stefkovski, VMRO-DPMNE candidate for Gazi Baba, saw an impressive 217% increase in article mentions, with notable growth in online interactions, while Toni Konjanovski, VMRO-DPMNE candidate for Bitola maintained steady visibility through both local news outlets and targeted Facebook content. Darko Kostovski, VMRO-DPMNE candidate for Butel had fewer articles but recorded a significant jump in public engagement, reflecting how social media traction can offset a limited media footprint.

On Facebook fan pages, Mexhiti and Gjorgjievski lead in engagement, with both surpassing 19,000 interactions. Other candidates from VMRO-DPMNE like Ivan Jordanov, for Shtip, and Mitko Jancev, for Kavadarci, also hold strong positions, proving the central role of Facebook in mobilizing local political audiences.

Top 5 politicians by engagement level

Talking Points and Campaign Frames: What the Candidates Are Saying

The thematic landscape for 4–10 August reveals varied campaign priorities. Mexhiti’s narrative remains anchored around the elections, environmental issues, and responses to hate speech, positioning him in both policy and values-based debates. Bujar Osmani, with 369 topic mentions, blends local governance with national concerns, including EU integration and relations with Bulgaria.

Gjorgjievski focuses on local issues, water supply, and municipal service delivery - topics that resonate strongly with urban residents. Stefkovski draws attention with messages around kindergarten capacity, schools, and addressing illegal constructions. Konjanovski highlights education, agriculture (sunflower oil production), and local crisis management related to wildfires. Kostovski is tied closely to water supply as a defining issue for his constituency.

Election related narratives dominate discourse across candidates, while secondary topics, ranging from environment to organized crime, are helping shape unique voter perceptions for each contender.

Top 10 politicians by articles and posts in relation with topic mentions

From Metrics to Meaning: What Election Scanner Reveals

August underscores the complex interplay between media coverage, social media influence, and thematic focus. While some candidates rely heavily on traditional media exposure, others are leveraging social platforms to bypass limited press attention and engage directly with voters.

Pikasa Analytics’ Election Scanner remains an essential tool for policymakers, election observers, and campaign strategists. By combining real-time visibility tracking with thematic analysis, it allows stakeholders to monitor shifts in public engagement, compare narrative dominance, and evaluate campaign performance across regions and media types.

With just over two months until 19 October, the ability to measure and adapt strategies will be critical for any campaign aiming to convert visibility into votes.