This paper focuses on the underlying factors driving the demand for populism
in North Macedonia. It presents an argument on populist attitudes,
illustrating empirically that within this specific context, they are
primarily driven by heightened dissatisfaction with state institutions. This
dissatisfaction is manifested as perceived lack of external political
efficacy, with state mechanisms failing to foster citizen inclusion in
political processes. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that populism in
this country of South East Europe is also significantly influenced by
adherence to traditional values and beliefs in conspiracy theories. These
findings are discussed in relation to the dominant theories on populist
demand found in current literature. The objectives of this paper are
twofold. Firstly, it seeks to examine the applicability of current theories
to the case of North Macedonia. Secondly, it proposes a perspective on the
factors stimulating populism within this context. To assess the effects of
different factors on populist demand, we employ OLS regression modeling
using survey data collected in June 2021. This study contributes to the
existing literature on the demand side of populism, presenting findings from
a region not frequently examined in this regard-Southeast Europe,
specifically North Macedonia.