The Social Democratic League of Macedonia (SDSM) will have a new leadership, but with the same chairman: Venko Filipçe. The Macedonian Revolutionary Internal Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) and the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) will each give another mandate to Hristijan Mickoski and Ali Ahmeti, respectively, while the Albanian coalition VLEN announced a merger into a single party.

These changes following the defeats in the North Macedonian elections are understandable for the opposition, some analysts say. But are they enough?

From member refreshes to new strategies and formal mergers – these are some of the changes that are already taking place or will follow in the largest parties on the political scene following the local elections held in North Macedonia on October 19 and November 2.

However, these parties are retaining old leaders, including some who are extending their mandates.

According to some analysts, the changes in cadres within the opposition ranks are expected and understandable.

In SDSM, the entire close leadership - the Executive Committee, at the proposal of leader Venko Filipce, resigned on December 2, while the party announced "new energy" after winning only six municipalities in the elections and not improving on the result of last year's parliamentary elections, when it received 152.000 votes.

"What is most important is to see who will replace them, because now they need to be people known to the public and who will be able, first of all, to bring back a part of the voting body. Then, we can talk about restoring trust, which is clearly at its lowest level in the last 30 years," Vladimir Bozhinovski of the Institute for Political Research tells Radio Free Europe's (RFE/RL) Balkan Service.

The current Secretary General, Aleksandar Sasho Dimitrievski, one of those who resigned, says that they did so, first and foremost, as a moral act before President Filipçe and before the members of the Central Committee, due to the results of the local elections.

"We finally agreed that before the next meeting of the Central Committee, we would let the CC members, through discussion, decide on the refreshing of the party's cadres, as well as who from the current leadership should ultimately continue in the highest bodies of SDSM. Both I and every colleague in the Executive Committee have been and will remain fully committed to re-establishing the party," Dimitrievski tells REL.

Meanwhile, the opposition DUI has warned Congress about December 20, but they still don't want to predict what will happen. However, one thing is certain.

"At the Congress, Ali Ahmeti will undoubtedly be re-elected as party chairman, as well as the members of the General Council. These two bodies will emerge from the Congress and then the Central Presidency will be elected at the General Council," DUI spokesman Arbër Ademi tells REL.

Some analysts question whether reforms are possible without holding the top leader accountable.

According to analyst and president of the Balkan Institute for Regional Cooperation (BIRS), Xhelal Neziri, with the leader's responsibility, "real changes begin" in the party.

What is happening in SDSM and DUI, according to him, looks more like "damage control" after poor election results, than genuine reforms.

However, as for the Social Democrats, he recalls that Filipce took over a year ago when the party fell from power, or as he puts it when "the party was dismantled and he had little time to consolidate it."

"He has a chance to build the party only if he promotes people who really believe in social democracy as a concept and ideology, if he manages to unite the fragmented left in the country, and if he forges an ideological coalition with the DUI, whether official or informal. Without these three conditions, Filipce will inadvertently continue to be a guarantee for Hristijan Mickoski's victories, keeping the opposition in agony," Neziri tells REL.

The resignation of the entire SDSM Executive Committee meant the departure of the vice president, vice presidents, secretary general, and organizational secretaries.

Their successors must be chosen by the Central Committee, which has about 130 members. This body is expected to meet by the end of December and elect between 10 and 18 people to be part of the Executive Committee.

Meanwhile, the party's vice-chairman is elected only at the Congress. There is no set date for the SDSM Congress yet. The decision to convene it is made by the Central Committee.

Unlike SDSM, DUI should also be reformed conceptually by defining a clear ideological matrix that will mobilize its membership, analyst Neziri estimates.

"In recent years, this party has been more like a business group made up of politician-businessmen who were ready for anything just to be part of the executive branch. If this concept does not change, DUI will not be able to function as an opposition party, because all those structures linked to concrete interests will move towards the ruling parties," he says.

While changes in the opposition are expected after the elections, for the ruling party, VMRO-DPMNE, which won 55 of the 81 municipalities in the country, changes are not necessary, several interlocutors emphasize.

Bozinovski emphasizes that when someone wins elections that were held less than two months ago, it is difficult to pressure them for any change.

"Whether or not there will be changes, I think it depends on the perception of the result – whether everyone has delivered what was expected or not," Bozhinovski emphasizes.

VMRO-DPMNE is due to hold its Congress in Kavadarci on December 6. It is expected that Hristijan Mickoski will be re-elected for a third term as party leader. According to the party statute, this is the maximum, and Mickoski said in an interview for the “360 Degrees” show that he will not seek statutory changes, confirming that this will be his last term as chairman.

"The Congress is expected to re-elect the party chairman, approve the report on successful elections, and approve the strategy and program principles for action in the next four years," MP and member of the Executive Committee, Antonio Miloshoski, tells REL.

Possible changes to some vice-chair positions, as has been speculated recently, are not expected at Saturday's Congress. These positions, according to the statute, are not elected at the Congress, but are appointed by the Central Committee.

A Congress is also expected soon in VLEN, the governing partner of VMRO-DPMNE.

VALENT operates as a coalition composed of several parties – Izet Mexhiti's Democratic Movement, Bilall Kasami's BESA, Alternativa led by Zeqirija Ibrahimi, as well as part of the Alliance for Albanians wing.

They have long been warning of a merger into a single party, and, according to warnings, this is expected to happen within a month and a half.

"We are working to have a Congress by the end of December or mid-January in which the formation of a joint party under the name VALEN will be decided," Ibrahimi tells REL.

It has not yet been determined how they will function as a party – with one or two leaders, or otherwise. They say they are working to have a model by the time of the founding Congress that will represent “an elegant solution” where all partners are equal.

VLEN received about 20.000 fewer votes for municipal councils in the local elections compared to the DUI-led coalition, but won in the largest municipalities with Albanian majorities. DUI won only four municipalities, while VLEN won 10, including Skopje Chair, Tetovo and Struga. /REL/