A friend of mine, a veteran in VMRO-DPMNE, tells me that he is going to vote FOR at the referendum, in a chat in front of little store where I shop. Honestly, he surprised me, knowing his political views and standpoints. I tell him that it’s not important if one votes FOR or AGAINST, but what’s important is to use the right to vote, not only at this referendum, but at every election process. Regardless of my personal opinion on the referendum and the entire process, I honestly think that everyone should decide for themselves, without fear and pressures, no matter how much I think that it is wrong or right. But, you already know that about me…“So, where did this decision come from?” – I ask my friend. He says: “Honestly, I was hesitant at the beginning. I had arguments for, but also against. But when I saw all those who are against, I realized it’s wrong to be on their side”.
We spoke about whether it’s still possible for wrong people in a wrong manner to stand in defense of a righteous objective? Can extremists and aggressors defend freedom, democracy and progress. Maybe, in certain times and extremely complicated circumstances, but here it’s about much simpler issues and things are very clear – so, we concluded jointly, it’s not. We talked about the political parties, the sharp division, about the pressures… “There’s not a single party that will be thinking instead of me anymore” – he said immersed and with an unhidden bitterness, and thereby determined the title of today’s text.
In the words of my friend is the essence of the party organization in our country. To put it simply, the party structures of power are usurping the rights of their members to think with their own head. That can be devastating for the party itself. Especially if at the head of a party is a “deal-oriented” structure that defends close interests, and not an idea and strategy. It’s not worth mentioning that the country for them is just a shop from which very good profits can be made.
Therefore, it’s completely irrelevant whether VMRO-DPMNE’s current leadership will call for referendum boycott or not. What in the public they call using tactics in their decision, is naïve? It’s clear that the party has a serious discord between those who are leading a total war (all or nothing) for saving Gruevski and the Family, and those who want to democratize and modernize the biggest right-wing party and to, for example, hang onto the membership in the European People’s Party (this example is not naïve, nor does it have a secondary meaning).
It is known that what VMRO-DPMNE thinks, the extremists say. Some flirt, while others openly work for the Russian services (not for Macedonia). In that clumsy game, they are inflicting serious political damage to each other, a bit of unintentionally, a bit of intentionally, because there you have picturesque characters with great ambitions and limited capacities.
Therefore, it won’t really matter what Mickoski will say around the middle of September (or a day or two earlier). The damage has been done. Luckily, it’s not irreversible. My friend’s opinion at the beginning of this text testifies to this. People have started to realize that they need to separate certain things. However, this realization is going slowly, lessons are learned slowly. These days, the humiliation that people do not read has surfaced. The Agreement with Greece has not been read by 97% of the people who live in Macedonia. Even if the number of those who DO NOT READ were twice as small, it would still be too much. So, some will vote for, others against, and some will even boycott…For something they haven’t even looked at!
We have learned yet another lesson. The ugly face of the nationalists has also surfaced. Well, not much effort is needed for that, it has always been clear that nationalism is dirty, ugly and stupid. But fortunately (in an unfortunate situation) the sources and methods of the black propaganda have been entirely disclosed. That is another bitter lesson we learned this year.
The good side of the lessons we learned is that no matter how loud the nationalism is, no matter how costly the operation has been paid with which those ordering the campaign for a boycott are trying to give it visibility and portraying it as massive – they are not succeeding in it. The Macedonian experiences, but also broader ones in the region, show that regardless how massive the manipulations are, people are not by far stupid and manage, in decisive moments, to find their way through the labyrinths of propaganda and fake news. We had such examples in our country and at the very beginning, since the independence in 1991, but also recently, with the Colorful Revolution, as well as in the days following the attack on the Parliament on April 27, 2017, when the society mobilized itself and the people made wise decisions. Upon their own beliefs. Even if they hadn’t read. Although it would be better for everyone if they read more and debated on important topics in this joint, historical presence of ours. The duality in the behavior of VMRO-DPMNE’s official leader also speaks
that things are not what they seem to be at first glance. It’s no secret that Mickoski is presenting completely different views in his public appearances and in private communication when he is not in the reach of cameras. Many interpret this as a consequence of the strong pressure that he is suffering since the first day he was placed in that function. He is simply torn between the past and the future of the party. The past is pushing him to the collapse of the party, whereas the future towards modernization, democratization and strengthening. As in the case with all of us, with Macedonia.
Translated by: Natasha Cvetkovska
