In Free Zone today Saso Ordanoski writes about North Macedonia’s leap of 24 places according to the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021, Professor Mirjana Najcevska writes about the avalanche of disparaging, mocking and insulting comments and quasi-analyses about the supposed statement of Minister of Defense Slavjanka Petrovska and Jove Kekenovski writes about the crisis with the supply of electricity.
“If this year Macedonia FELL by 24 places on the annual Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, I believe it would have been top news of the week (which would have “dragged on” the entire year”) for all the media, political factors, NGOs, commentators and other moderators of the public opinion here. There would have been special (and especially hysterical) press conferences, a dozen debate shows, special articles and statements that would have swamped us about the “general chaos in the country” and about the “crimes of the government”, writes Saso Ordanoski in the column “Catastrophe: Slovenia notes a fall of 6 places on the Corruption Index!“.
“In relation to a possible engagement of Macedonian soldiers in the escalation of the conflict, the Minister stated that the engagement of our Army, as well as the armies of other NATO member states, is defined at conferences for generating forces that specifically for this topic are held under the coordination of the Supreme Commander of the NATO Allied Forces. At these conferences, every member state makes available its forces, units or equipment, according to its possibilities. Currently, our army, as part of those structures, has an obligation and is already preparing analyses about the possibilities for our potential participation, that is, engagement.
Not in a single statement of the Minister is declaring war on Russia mentioned or heading with the army of Macedonia towards Russia. But precisely such constructions were made in a number of media outlets and these constructions (not the very statements or parts of the statements of the Minister) were used as a basis for an avalanche of disparaging, mocking and insulting comments and quasi-analyses, writes Mirjana Najcevska in the column “When criticism loses its meaning” .
“The engagement of AD ESM and of the state in the supply of gas should prevent additional deepening of the crisis with the supply of electricity, having in consideration that in lack of central heating many families would switch to electric heating, and that would lead to an enormous increase in the consumption of electricity. So, it is a forced decision “when push comes to shove”. As the elders would say “between a rock and a hard place”, writes Jove Kekenovski in the column “Where else can this be seen people?! Unprecedented anarchy and theft, and everyone is silent“.
Translation: N. Cvetkovska
