The negotiations between SDSM – DUI in the style “one step forward-two steps back” marked the political scene in Macedonia this past week. Finally, DUI decided to give the ten signatures of MPs in the Parliament to the leader of SDSM (49), Zoran Zaev, along with the Alliance for Albanians (3) and Besa (5). Hence, with the list of a total of 67 mandates, Zaev today requested from President Gjorge Ivanov the mandate to form a new government.

There is still a dilemma on whether President Ivanov, for whom the phrase “close to VMRO-DPMNE” applies, will remain consistent with the Constitution and the law and will give the mandate to Zaev.  Or, as constitutional experts have been pointing out in the meanwhile, the MP majority will enter the assembly and after the new Parliament is fully constituted, then it will decide to form a new government. The coalition partners also gave their support to Zaev, for him to be the designate of the future government.

Should Ivanov decide to act in accordance with the Constitution, then the next step to forming a government, between SDSM and the parties of the Albanian political bloc, would be to define the law on languages and some other demands with which these parties conditioned the forming of the coalition for a new government.

Historic announcement of VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski

The decision of the ethnic Albanian parties, to entrust their signatures to opposition leader Zaev, which is a step away to forming a new government, caused serious turbulences in VMRO-DPMNE, a party that at the last early elections held on December 11, won 51, or just 2 seats more than the oppositional SDSM. VMRO-DPMNE announced that it would oppose the “catastrophic law on bilingualism” and accused of endangering national interests, and that these steps lead to introducing cantons and division of the state.

Party leader Nikola Gruevski warned on one of the national television station and also on his Facebook profile that the “state has been attacked and that only the people can defend it”. According to him, it is about an operation that is being carried out by external centers for taking down the government and installing Zoran Zaev in power, for “weakening the state, with the purpose of changing the name and identity of Macedonia”. Gruevski even sent out a message to Zaev that “VMRO-DPMNE is ready to support SDSM as a minority government, if Zaev does not hit on the foundations of the state, because of the desire to be in power”.

These accusations are followed by counterattacks from SDSM, from where there are announcements at large for a new government and “Life in Macedonia”.

The media and social networks with hate speech

The vocabulary of VMRO-DPMNE and of the leader Gruevski have encouraged hate speech among its party members and supporters. Hence, the calls for protests and mass turnouts on the streets “with the purpose of defending the national interests of the state”, which are especially present on the social networks. According to some Macedonian analysts, these calls are harmless, as the citizens will not fall to to such provocations. Whereas they believe that Gruevski’s “sacrificing” is his request for a collective responsibility for the burden that he has to bear.

The Macedonian Orthodox Church also did not remain immune to the events. The Holy Synod expressed great concern, called for preserving the unitary character of the state, for reconciliation, forgiveness, responsibility and national unity!

The Macedonian association “Tvrdokorni” held a peaceful protest march under the slogan “Promise for Macedonia”, which started at the courtyard of the cathedral “St. Climent Ohridski” in Skopje. The “Civil initiative for a common Macedonia” is organizing a protest today.

The media close to VMRO-DPMNE continue to spread hate speech by presenting one-sided information and comments that encourage radical steps and unrests in the country.

Моnika Taleska