Democratic Union for Integration

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party The Democratic Union for Integration (Template:Langx, Template:Langx) is the largest ethnic Albanian political party in North Macedonia and the third largest political party in the country. It was formed immediately after the country's 2001 armed conflict between the National Liberation Army and Macedonian security forces. NLA founder Ali Ahmeti has been the party's president ever since.

History

The party was founded on 5 June 2002 by former NLA leader Ali Ahmeti, who has been the party's president ever since.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the 2002 parliamentary election, the party won 12.1% of the popular vote (roughly 70% of the Albanian vote)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and 16 of 120 seats,<ref name="NS">Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1278 Template:ISBN</ref> compared to 7 seats by Democratic Party of Albanians and 2 seats by Party for Democratic Prosperity.<ref name="ep">Template:Cite book</ref>

From 2002 to 2006, it was part of the ruling "Together for Macedonia" coalition along with the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and the Liberal Democratic Party.<ref name="ep" />

In the 2006 parliamentary election, the party formed a coalition with the Party for Democratic Prosperity and the Democratic League of Bosniaks. This coalition received 12.2% of the vote and 16 seats. Although DUI won the most seats among ethnic Albanian parties (13), since their governmental partners lost the election, it was not invited by the newly elected Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to participate in the government. Its place was taken by the second-largest ethnic Albanian political party, the Democratic Party of the Albanians.

However, after the 2008 early parliamentary election, the party returned to the government in a coalition with Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the 2011 parliamentary election, DUI received 10.2% of the total vote, winning 15 seats, a loss of 3 seats from the previous election.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> DUI had the best election result in the 2014 parliamentary election when it received 153,646 votes (14.2%), winning 19 seats, and had the worst result in the next election in 2016, receiving 86,796 votes (7.5%). In 2016, DUI entered the government in a coalition with SDSM.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the campaign for the 2020 parliamentary election, DUI made its participation in any coalition contingent on the nominee for Prime Minister being an ethnic Albanian, which both SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE have refused. On 18 August, SDSM and DUI reached a deal on a coalition government as well as a compromise on the issue of an ethnic Albanian Prime Minister.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On World Environment Day in 2021, Ahmeti announced the party will focus more on environmental issues, citing Greta Thunberg's activism as inspiring the party's new direction.<ref name="Green">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 28 January Talat Xhaferi of Democratic Union for Integration has been elected as prime minister of the technical government of North Macedonia which, in accordance with the Pržino Agreement, will lead the country in the 100 days prior to the parliamentary elections scheduled for 8 May.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Election results

Presidential elections

Election	Candidate	Votes	%	Votes	%	Result
		First round		Second round
2024	Bujar Osmani	120,811	13.71%	Template:N/A	Template:N/A	Lost Template:Nay

Assembly elections

Year	Votes	Vote %	Seats	Seat change	Place	Status
2002	144,913	12.1	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 16	Template:Increase 3rd	Template:Yes2
2006	114,301	12.2	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 3	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:No2
2008	126,522	12.8	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 5	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:Yes2
2011	115,092	10.2	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 3	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:Yes2
2014	153,646	14.2	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 4	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:Yes2
2016	86,796	7.5	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 9	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:Yes2
2020	104,699	11.5	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 5	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:Yes2
2024	137,690	14.1	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 5	Template:Steady 3rd	Template:No2

External links

• Democratic Union for Integration