The internal party clash in VMRO-DPMNE is becoming fiercer. The fight for the throne of the richest party has started long time ago, from the moment of Gruevski’s demise, but is now entering in a critical phase, after which Gruevski, his protégé Mickoski and a large part of the Family will lose their power. The party is falling apart, and we can expect the dramatic ending by the end of the year. Let’s hope, without (too many) victims.
The Parliament’s success after the voting on starting the process of constitutional changes is accompanied with all the old, but also with new risks. Several VMRO-DPMNE officials and MPs “saved” themselves from further persecution, at least for now, if not for always. Part of the public, admiringly called them heroes Kancevska-Milevska, Mukovski and others, which shows how easy it is to forget their misdeeds and the basic motive for their voting FOR in Parliament. On the other hand, they really did show courage to pull away, at least for a moment, from the clutches of the family. That courage (with or without parenthesis), is encouraged by several factors inside and outside of the party, inside and outside of the country. This also includes that the family has been for quite some time now flirting with the new government and the diplomatic missions in the country.
The key figure
It concerns a key figure that left Gruevski and his “believers”, whose concept is a restless struggle, unsuccessful so far, to get away with things by causing new crises. Gruevski has no contact with reality for three years now. He can’t accept that the arrangement of forces is completely different from the one before the crisis in 2015. Fanatics and sociopaths are gathered around him, of which there are some who have probably never even had any contact with reality. Look at the cases of Gjorge Ficus Ivanov, Hristijan Knee Mickoski, for example…But not all are lost in their fanaticism and uncontrolled appetite for power.
Sasho Mijalkov, a person who thinks with a cold head, acts quickly, is flexible and has good and timely information. How wouldn’t he, with so much information at hand? After so many years at the top position in UBK, after the long years of surveillance, with a control on key state resources that he used to build an empire, he is one of the people with the most accurate information about everything you can and cannot imagine.
Mijalkov knows all the players in politics, diplomacy, business and security, some better than they know themselves. It seems that the wealth he acquired during his ruling is by far greater that the one of his “deal-oriented” cousin-prime minister. But, like every good businessman, he knows where and how much to open the wallet, to “invest” in his next steps and positions. Gruevski, for example, is as if though he has a snake in his pocket – what he stole is his.
At the same time, unlike his fanatic cousin Gruevski, Mijalkov is deprived of emotions when it comes to politics and moral. He understands the circumstances very well and possesses a talent for negotiation, a little primitive, witty, but unscrupulous and insensitive. And – by far not stupid. He knows math, unlike some university professors. That’s why he doesn’t see a need to push himself in the rows that are marching towards VMRO-DPMNE’s throne.
Gruevski’s legacy
Gruevski has left a rigid party structure in which ruling is carried out with fear, with corruption and clientilism, a combination of a militant and mafia organization, led by almost occult loyalty towards the leader. When such a structure is starting to shake, an unscrupulous struggle for conquering leadership positions can be expected, something that isn’t characteristic for moderate and modern politicians. They will probably need support from the membership, but also from the public, if they want to take the control of the party.
The Russian installations in VMRO-DPMNE are strong and will not give up at any moment. They are not naïve, nor are they burdened with emotions towards Gruevski. They will forget him very quickly, if they haven’t already forgotten him. Now, for them it will be important to place their own person, or to accept the leadership positions to be taken over by people over which they will have at least some kind of influence, if not an overriding influence.
Hitting on the ethnic relations in the country is the easiest, cheapest and most efficient way. In combination with the already fierce online settling of scores with the “traitors” among their own ranks, it will be part of the recipe for further hindering of the processes for the Macedonian democratic healing in general, and especially in the steps towards NATO and the EU. I say online settling of scores because it is already obvious that the street is no longer appealing, not even for tear gasses and bacevci, and let alone for thugs and vankovci…
Hate speech, fake news and life
If the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office has finally began to see, therefore starting to persecute the perpetrators of crimes related to hate speech, then maybe that weapon will lose its sharpness and destructiveness, at least temporarily. However…
To expect that the factory for fake news will stop working, would be too much of an optimism, but their effect will significantly reduce. This will be more a result of the pressure on the “producers” of fake news at the international level, than from any improvement in the work of the domestic media bosses and workers (unfortunately).
Whatever way you look at it, the process that has started is still very fragile. Meaning there is no room for relaxing. Countless obstructions from inside and out will be faced. Fortunately, Macedonia is enjoying all possible support from the US and the EU, especially from Germany. Support is also
not lacking from a huge number of citizens whose determination is a modern and European Macedonia, even if it were Northern, just not FYROM, as it was until now. That support mostly is deserved and based on the hard work of several dedicated politicians. For once we need to admit that something nice is happening on the deck of this prematurely aged boat in the need of serious renovation.
Still, it is time for the government, whose mandate at the central level is nearing the middle, and at the local level has passed the first year – to do some work at home too. Because life continues, and Dad has almost changed the light bulb…
Ellada
The game of thrones in VMRO-DPMNE, the Russian Bachushkas, the radicals and criminals are not the only mountains rising on the road towards the implementation of the Prespa Agreement and towards the EU and NATO.
The situation with Greece is also a great challenge, where the reconciliation that Zaev and Tsipras have started has given wings to the nationalists there and to the clergy who, like the ones here, are cordially supported by the Kremlin. The Greek parliamentary elections are in May 2019. This process of implementing the Macedonian-Greek Agreement has to finalize before those elections are held. It is precisely the short time that all those who are against for Macedonia to stabilize itself and to become a normal country are counting on.
Therefore, we cannot expect a clean and decent political process in the coming days, weeks and months. There will be many difficult and tense moments, hours of anticipation, tensions, a few incidents…This is not a normal process in a normal country, and it has already started and is being led in order for precisely that – a normal country in which normal life is led…
Epilogue
In such a country…
Political tricks and stunts are more important than the foundations of the Constitution, Facebook dictatorship, and does not reason with public politics and political trends, university professor(s) literally embarrass themselves by talking nonsense (there’s no other word for it)…
Like antisocial children who don’t have primary education and who haven’t seen a day of school, we see politicians, intellectuals, journalists and online maniacs tripping on their own ambitions in order to outsmart all the others. They are building entire careers on secondary things in politics and in life.
And many of them will manage to squeeze through the open doors of the tight interests, but also the laziness, leniency and ignorance. And they will continue to rule…
For now, without an epilogue in this season…
