Sep 27, 2019 9:29 by Администратор -

III. Third Macedonian Republic – from skepticism through euphoria to depression

It turns out that it is not the name of the country but corruption that is eating away the Macedonian society and completely atrophying the Macedonian country whatever its name.

By Zoran Ivanov

At the end of the third decade of independence, actual Macedonia is still between dream and reality. Since the beginning of this year we have been waking up to the fact that with the constitutional changes the country got a new garment. That Macedonia, after the first ASNOM and the second with its independence, after the Prespa began to live its third republic. The country’s political evolution has opened up new integration horizons. But judging by the latest management practices, the speed of development movements in the Republic of North Macedonia will continue to be burdened by the inadequacy of our political leadership.

In this third last Friday sequel of the same title and in this latest text of this column series in the eminent Inbox7 portal, here are some subjective views about the Macedonian development. More specifically, the current political environment that does not promise rapid transformations to European values. This conclusion is pessimistic for the simple reason that our party garrisons have not shown much willingness to move the country further. No doubt, judging by the civic reactions, such a dilemma would be supported by all the polls. At the end of the third decade of our independence and at the beginning of our third Macedonian republic, the country and the Macedonian citizens are in a position to which the last term of the title and this third consecutive thematic text refer.

Depression and hopelessness become a dominant mental state in Macedonian society. Consequences of lucrative and particularly bitter characteristic causes of political leadership. Already at the start of this most recent historical stage it has been shown that the Macedonian political elites are immature to deliver a certain European future to their citizens and their country. Corruption and criminality of all sorts and at all levels have abandoned all ideologies and ideals.

The profiteering mentality had overthrown the former, but the corrupt worm began to devour dangerously this power, which at times also betrayed the ideals of the colorful revolution. It is striking that the struggle for power is not only a struggle for bare political power, but also a struggle for who will rule the state budget and who will overthrow the institutions. And who will grab the tenders, who will be the main businessman in the country, who will enjoy all the material privileges, who will manage the staff vacancies and who will dictate the values. It turns out that not the name of the country but corruption is eating away the Macedonian society and completely atrophying the Macedonian country whatever it is called.

By analogy, the most painful consequences are cumulative in the decaying justice system, in that key pillar of stability and democracy. Daily signals are that the vast majority of actors in those circles are corrupt clientelists. Not resistant to party influences and even less resistant to bribery and corruption. If it had been at least a little opposite, the vast majority of judges and prosecutors would not have allowed criminogenic types and types to exist in their ranks. But as stray thieves, as a foreign body in that responsible and ethical profession, they would have quickly and consistently dismissed them from their ranks. But that hasn’t been happening for ten, twenty, thirty years. Well, instead of producing justice, our justice system is pushing injustice.

It is not remembered the prosecution and the judiciary systematically and institutionally to raise their voices against corruption and clientelism. Silence is the protective armor for all our justice institutions. The country has come so far that the symbiosis between politics and the Swarovski judiciary and between politics and Louis Vuitton justice has betrayed all expectations of the Europeanization of the country. Judicial clientelist equilibrium has become the major corrupt mark of Macedonian injustice.

The combination of justice with politics, that fraternity between influential politicians and well-positioned prosecutors and judges, has colored the state in all corrupt colors. It is very evident, there is also the great disappointment with the latest government that justice still does not reach where the expectations are greatest. That the law does not touch the biggest crimes found in the pursuit of business policy. And that the slogan of equality for all is just a fictitious constitutional category. Such a traumatic situation, this continuity of the unique Macedonian political matrix, only confirms the general impression that all authorities are the same.

And they will be the same as long as Macedonian political parties reign in demagogy, servility and silence. As long as there are no internal party democracies in them. As long as their leaderships act as mystical Masonic lodges and as long as the broad membership is uninformed and isolated from day-to-day party politics. In their party mentality they have not yet incorporated ethical standards for their responsibility towards the citizens and the country.

Crises, ethnic and especially inter-party, have become a continuum. A national landmark, a unique Macedonian political matrix. The key party entities, the country’s top managers, have so far failed to jointly plan and realize anything capital. Neither a plant, nor a road, a track, a school, a hospital, healthy institutions, self-governing and untouchable judiciary. Nothing major has been done unanimously for the state and the citizens. Except they continue to tirelessly produce divisions that offset the country’s poverty and stagnation.

Thus, from a fight to a fight, our authentic political, state and social crises continue to be created day by day. In non-unity we are a unique nation. With a mentality and character that is amazingly capable of blaming, insulting, humiliating each other. To label, stamp traitors and snitches and promote ourselves exclusively for patriots and defenders.

Since 1991, since the first euphoria of our own state onwards, we practically don’t remember a single thing we were unique about. From time to time only after some success in culture and sports we inject a dose of unity. Politics has made fan groups out of the citizens. It has created tension, a tragic battle and produced unbearable mental fog. Social cataract that hides the paths to the most important prospective goals of the country.

Occupied by daily politics, Macedonia has failed to build sustainably credible values, institutions and systems. The Macedonian country and society are chronically ill. The situation is continuously with corrupt politicians, infected media, fighting citizens. An ambient of plural democracy with South American manners. That is why we urgently need an EU connection to finally leave the Balkans and embark on the European path. Otherwise we will constantly return to our beginning, to that inevitable painful and traumatic transition.

The Republic of North Macedonia has entered its third republic. That there will be problems occasionally, that some more inter-ethnic ironing will be sought in order to strengthen the unity of the country, is beyond doubt. The inadequacy of party elites to prevent and define the necessary moves in a timely manner is disputable. And to manage them in the direction of the state of Macedonia to strengthen its unity and international co-operation. It is especially necessary so that our fourth, fifth, and any future republic would happen as a result of our already traditional division and post-conflict, and not of consensual and harmonious state and social evolution.

October is here. This month is a certain chance for light beam. With the date set for the start of negotiations with the EU and under the dictates of the Brussels bureaucrats, something better to move on.

And the further development of the country from skepticism through euphoria to depression, to lead to a new hope that we will make it anyway.

*The text is written exclusively for the purposes of Inbox 7. For each republishing, a consent by the editors must be obtained. Inbox 7 does not always agree with the opinions and views of the authors in the debate section.