site.btaNorth Macedonia Media Cover European Parliament Elections, Bulgarian National Assembly Elections

North Macedonia is curious about the European Parliament elections held across the EU. The country's Telma television sent a special correspondent to Brussels to cover the outcome of the vote. The results in Greece and Bulgaria are among the highlights in local media reports.

The GERB party's victory in Bulgaria's 2-in-1 elections to the European and national parliament got headline prominence in many news media in North Macedonia.

"Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's center-right GERB party appears to have won snap parliamentary elections, according to exit polls in Bulgaria's sixth such vote in the past three years, although it remains uncertain whether any party can cobble together a governing coalition," the North Macedonia service of RFE/RL said. (A similar report was released by the Bulgarian service.)

Discussing Greece, Telma television said: "Earning 28.3% of the vote and seven seats in the European Parliament, the ruling New Democracy party won Sunday's European elections in Greece, but the incumbent Greek prime minister said the party failed to achieve its goal as the result is worse than in the previous European elections, when the party had 33% support."

Some headlines in North Macedonia read: "EPP Retains Majority in EP"; "European Elections: Extreme Right Rises Up, Socialists and Democrats Come In Second, von der Leyen May Win Second Term"; "European Elites Fan Fears by Faking Up 'Rightist Extremism Invasion'"; "Far Right Emerges Stronger after EU Elections, Social Democrats and Leftists Suffer Heavy Blow"; "Three Largest Parties Still Hold Overwhelming Majority in EP"; and "Far Right Wins in France, Nationalist 'Alternative for Germany' Comes In Second".

Denesen.mk noted: "With voter turnout at 21%, Croatia is the country whose voters were least motivated to elect their members to the European Parliament. The second-lowest turnout was reported in Lithuania, at 28.9%, followed by Bulgaria, 31.8%. Belgium had the highest turnout, at 89.2%, followed by Luxembourg, 82.3%, and Malta, 72.8%. Of all EU countries, voting is compulsory in Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece and Bulgaria."