By b=XHABIR DERALLA
The large number of political parties in a country, at first glance, could be assumed as a good sign – that the democracy is an advanced stage and that there is pluralism. But in reality it has completely different meanings and effects.
Drop in the number of MPs
In regards to the direct party interests, it’s good to have in consideration that the large number of political parties in one bloc, under any criteria (Macedonian or Albanian, right-wing or left-wing), in general, can cause a drop in the number of MPs from that bloc in the future parliament composition. And it doesn’t mean that small parties will win the desired numbers.
Fragmentation doesn’t also mean contribution to pluralism
Although at first glance it seems like contribution to pluralism, fragmentation of the political fabric can also cause a drop in the quality of the political life, and in no way means that the political culture has been strengthened. During election processes, not a small number of votes are lost due to excessive division between multiple political subjects.
The electoral system, the division into constituencies, the model of calculating votes needed for mandates and many other, let’s say, objective factors also contribute to this. At least that’s the impression from CIVIL’s long-term election monitoring, in which I have been participating from the very beginning.
Trust is the most important
The most important factor in the political life of a country, especially ahead of elections, is trust. Which there is none of.
We live in an age when people have increasingly less trust, and increasingly more fear and anger. This is not just the case of our country or region, but rather a global phenomenon. People are afraid, distrustful and angry. It can also be said – unhappy. They are distrustful, because they feel betrayed.
They are disappointed with everything. With the institutions, politicians, big businesses, pharmacy industry and health care, with the pollution, religious institutions, intellectuals, judiciary… All this affects the overall atmosphere in society and – trust in the electoral system and the very election processes. How did it come to this, there are a number of explanations, but that’s another topic.
Confusion and distrust
The large number of political parties doesn’t promise to house some of the expectations and hopes of the voters. On the contrary, it can cause just more confusion, and even distrust.
Walking around the shelves of political offers, in the end people feel powerless to choose any of the products (programs and/or figures) because they are not sure that everything that is written on the package and declaration is really true. And the store, unfortunately, often purchases products with expired dates. Or they are too expensive (nationalism, polarization, violence).
Old-new leaders
Additionally, in the case with the political offer in our country, it should be taken in consideration that a large number of new political parties are started up precisely by politicians who previously had been high officials in other parties. In fact, most of them are old-new leaders, and certainly seniors in politics.
Of course, each party has its own story and specifics, but in general, the political elites are just regrouping. In fact, it’s about a caste of politically influential people who are just regrouping, while yesterday’s party partners are becoming angry political opponents.
It doesn’t have to be, but it could be an indicator of completely different conditions.
Interparty democracy and personal ambitions
Among else, it could also point to a lack of interparty democracy among some parties, as some “detached” party leaders indicate in their statements.
Even more interesting,the large number of political parties could point to the personal ambitions of certain politicians who think that they would be more successful if they lead their own, even smaller, political parties.
There is one party that is maintaining its internal structure homogenous with notarial statements, corruption, pressure and intimidation. How much one has deserved…
Politics – business and opportunity for quick and easy profit
In any case, it’s far from new to say that politics are seen as a business and opportunity for quick and easy profit. The system itself makes political parties a desired destination for anyone who wants to make money, and at the same time gain popularity and power, through which they can gain even more money.
In other words, a recipe for corruption, that is, corrupt behavior by the parties. And the smaller the party is, the better the prospects are of the powerful figures in them. How?
Products in small stores are often with higher prices than those in big supermarkets…
The high price of the heads of the parties-stores
Hence, smaller political parties, both independently and when in coalitions in the parliament, can get a higher value when their votes are needed for important political decisions. They are “sold” quite expensively on the political market, in exchange for the vote that is needed on key issues for the country,
The Macedonian examples of this are numerous – constitutional changes for unblocking the integration process in NATO (2019) and the EU (2023), unblocking the reform laws in the area of the judiciary, budget, use of the languages of the communities, social justice, education and many others.
A clearly defined political orientation– there is none!
One of the main shortcomings of most of the political parties, and that being the absence of a clearly defined political orientation, platform and strategy on the key issues in the lives of the citizens, must not be left out. Some of them come, sometimes, to the right conclusions on the challenges, but have no idea how to overcome them, or the way they want to solve then is totally wrong.
Of course, here there is room for much more detailed analyses of every aspect mentioned here, as well as many other that have not been mentioned. But…
When the political map of North Macedonia is looked at in this way, and other consequences of the political chaos in the country are also taken into consideration, it is not at all strange that people are apathetic and often decide to abstain from voting. Or vote – “out of spite” and “against”, and not “in favor”.
Translated by: N. Cvetkovska
