5.2 Youth participation in representative democracy
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National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility (NAEEPM)
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Young people as voters
In the Republic of North Macedonia, the right to vote is guaranteed by Article 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, which states:
“Every citizen who attains 18 years of age acquires the right to vote. The right to vote is equal, universal and direct, and is exercised at free elections by secret ballot.”
The right to vote is therefore granted to every citizen who has reached the age of 18 and possesses legal capacity. Persons who have been deprived of legal capacity by a final court decision are excluded from exercising this right. Voting in North Macedonia is not compulsory.
At present, there are no formal initiatives or public debates aimed at lowering the voting age below 18.
Special arrangements are in place to ensure electoral participation for certain categories of voters. Young people serving voluntary or regular military service, as well as young offenders placed in correctional institutions, are enabled to vote prior to the official Election Day, in accordance with the Electoral Code.
Despite their full legal entitlement to vote, publicly available electoral statistics do not systematically provide disaggregated data on youth voter turnout. The absence of age-specific data limits the ability to assess the level of youth electoral participation and to design targeted measures aimed at strengthening young people’s engagement in democratic processes.
Young people as political representatives
The right to stand for election is regulated by Article 23 of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and further elaborated in the Electoral Code of the Republic of North Macedonia. Every citizen who has reached 18 years of age and has legal capacity may be elected to public office. This includes positions such as Members of Parliament, mayors and municipal councillors.
An exception applies to presidential elections: pursuant to the Constitution, a candidate for President of the Republic must be at least 40 years old.
There are no legal provisions reserving seats or specific functions within the Assembly for young people. Youth political representation therefore depends on political party nomination procedures and electoral outcomes rather than on quota-based mechanisms.
Youth representation in the 2024 parliamentary elections
According to the analysis “Youth on Elections: Analysis of the Position of Young People in the Parliamentary Elections 2024”, young people were present on candidate lists but remained underrepresented among elected representatives.
In the 2024 parliamentary elections:
- Candidates aged 18–29 accounted for approximately 14.6% of all candidates.
- Candidates aged 18–39 represented approximately 35.5% of all candidates.
However, electoral outcomes show significantly lower representation:
- Members of Parliament aged 18–29 constitute approximately 2.5% of the 120-seat Assembly.
- MPs aged up to 39 account for approximately 25.8% of elected representatives.
- The average age of MPs in the 2024–2028 parliamentary term is 45.4 years.
These figures indicate that although young people participate in electoral competition, their presence among elected decision-makers remains limited, particularly in the youngest age category.
Youth representation in local elections (2025)
Preliminary data on the 2025 local elections further illustrate the limited participation of young people in local-level executive and representative positions.
According to available data, only 1.27% of all mayoral candidates in the 2025 local elections are young persons. This indicates extremely low youth participation in executive local positions.
Regarding municipal council lists, out of approximately 10,600 candidates, around 2,170 are young candidates, representing roughly one fifth of the total number of nominees. However, available analyses indicate that young candidates are most frequently placed in lower, less electable positions on party lists—often around positions six or nine—reducing their realistic chances of being elected.
Structural challenges
Although the legal framework in North Macedonia guarantees equal voting rights and eligibility to stand for election from the age of 18, legal equality does not automatically ensure equal representation in practice. Young citizens who meet the formal requirements to run for office frequently encounter structural and systemic barriers. These include limited placement in electable positions on party lists, reduced access to financial resources, lower media visibility, and weaker political networks compared to more established candidates.
As a result, youth political representation largely depends on internal party dynamics and overall electoral competitiveness rather than on institutional safeguards. The absence of reserved seats or quota mechanisms further reinforces this dynamic.
Parliamentary Club for Youth Affairs and Policies
In order to strengthen dialogue on youth-related issues within the legislature, the Parliamentary Club for Youth Affairs and Policies was established in September 2017 within the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia. The Club functions as an informal, cross-party platform aimed at promoting youth-related policies and cooperation with youth organisations, informal youth groups and youth wings of political parties.
In the current parliamentary mandate, the Club brings together Members of Parliament under the age of 35, as well as other MPs committed to advocating for improved conditions and opportunities for young people. While it contributes to raising visibility of youth issues, it does not constitute a formal quota or reserved mechanism for youth representation.