Who runs local government in North Macedonia?
North Macedonia has one tier of 80 municipalities plus the City of Skopje, which is a separate unit covering 10 of those municipalities. Mayors and councils are directly elected every four years (most recently in October–November 2025). The system was shaped by the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended an armed conflict and gave municipalities more power and minority communities guaranteed rights.
Republic of North Macedonia · Unitary republic · South-eastern Europe
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Planning regions (8) | Councils made up of the mayors of member municipalities | Regional development and statistics; no administrative powers. |
| City of Skopje | Mayor and city council directly elected | City-wide services across the capital's 10 municipalities. |
| Municipalities – opštini (80) | Mayor (gradonachalnik) and council directly elected for four years | Primary and secondary schools, local roads, utilities, planning, culture, local economic development. |
| Urban and rural communities (about 1,783 in 2019) | Formed under municipal statutes | Advisory only; can make recommendations to the municipality. |
Three questions about local power in North Macedonia
Are local leaders elected?
Mayors and municipal councils are directly elected. Planning region councils are made up of mayors.
Which laws set up local government?
The Constitution (Articles 114–117), the 2002 Law on Local Self-Government and the 2004 Law on Territorial Organisation. Religious influence is informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters elect and can recall through local referendums; the Ministry of Local Self-Government and other ministries check legality; some council decisions on culture and language need a double majority including councillors from non-majority communities (the 'Badinter' rule).
Traditional and customary authority
No customary authority exists in law. The Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Islamic Religious Community are influential, but have no formal local role.
Community and neighbourhood power
Urban and rural communities let residents raise local issues, but they are not political bodies and only advise. In municipalities where at least 20% of residents belong to a community such as Albanians, a committee for inter-community relations must be set up, and that community's language becomes an official language in the municipality.
Points to know
- The number of municipalities fell from 123 in 1996 to 84 in 2004 and 80 after Kičevo merged with four neighbours in 2013.
- 37 of the 80 municipalities have their seat in a village.
- Skopje holds about 29% of the population.
Local terms
- Opština
- Municipality.
- Ohrid Framework Agreement
- 2001 peace deal that expanded local self-government and minority rights.
Sources
- Constitution of North Macedonia (1991, rev. 2019), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Republic of North Macedonia: country profile (territorial organisation, responsibilities, finance), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- State Election Commission, Државна изборна комисија, checked 14 October 2026
- Ministry of Local Self-Government, Government of North Macedonia, checked 14 October 2026
See also: North Macedonia's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.