Nationalists Set to Win North Macedonia Vote in Blow to EU Deal.

North Macedonia's main nationalist party, VMRO-DPMNE, has claimed victory in the country's general election. This could potentially hinder talks on joining the European Union, as the party has rejected a political deal with Bulgaria that would ease the accession process. The VMRO-DPMNE may seek a partnership with the VLEN, an alliance of parties representing ethnic Albanians. North Macedonia has faced setbacks in its path to EU integration, including changing its name to resolve a dispute with Greece. The outgoing Social Democrats, who were backed by 14% of voters, signed agreements with Greece and Bulgaria to resolve disputes and advance EU membership talks. In a separate vote, the VMRO-DPMNE candidate won the presidential election. [Extracted from the article]