The whole transition period has been described with cramps of political elites, who have been staggered with “bargain” for their own sake. The same play is currently being played at the expense of the citizens. The path to normality and progress requires correct political dialogue rather than partisan ego improvisation. Will the possible meeting of leaders overcome this political wasteland that is producing only civic despair?
Author: Bardhyl Zaimi
Not only now, but forever, has politics in North Macedonia known to play at the expense of citizens. The whole trajectory of political developments is determined by the agreements of the political elites, which are completely detached from social and civic realities that have brought “bargains” for themselves, but not for long-term solutions to certain problems. The whole time has dominated the egocentric idea of political elites with a fatal phrase in the general interest that is, “if we are good, then everybody is well”. This logic has produced “elitist bargaining” without any vision for the future of citizens.
The transition in North Macedonia already recognizes a series of such “bargains” that have taken place somewhere in the backstage of politics, where personal and clan interests are usually played out. Agreements are part of political and democratic life, but only when they are in the function of a more meaningful vision, when they are in the service of a quality overcoming of a given situation. Such agreements imply uninterrupted debate and dialogue, imply knowledge and principles to overcome a political situation that runs the risk of producing extreme polarizations, and with it a political conflict.
North Macedonia has so far gone through many phases of such political cramps, which have been the result of wrong policies and in many cases incriminated. As usual, political agreements have followed, which have put an end to the cramps produced in party laboratories, which are interpreted as cramps that come from one or another party’s destructive policies.
Political parties represent electoral will and governance and all political and democratic life are determined by this will. However, this initial will has not always been internalized as the logic of political functioning. In most cases, this will has been completely disfigured and degenerated into a kind of vulgar elitism that has always cared for political agreements in the background of which have stood coverages of political incrimination.
In the dark tunnel of these political “bargains” suffers the idea of social and democratic normality. Such “bargains” have not been absent all the time, which were more for the survival of the elites than for a higher purpose related to the establishment of the principles of good governance, social peace and the establishment of a verified system of values that would produce welfare for all. The recent decade the party occupation of institutions and the latest case of the “Racketeering” affair show how difficult it is to establish a normal institutional functioning system based on professional integrity and outside the schemes of political elites in North Macedonia which have always been prone to alienate and degenerate all those mechanisms that provide justice for all. Political cramps are usually generated by the strong positioning of political parties, which primarily have their own interests rather than those of the citizens. Even now, the political scene is suffering from a political cramp that could jeopardize a process in which the international community has invested at all times. The Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which should also determine the fate of the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office, seems to have already created extreme political polarization that is not known where it will end.
In the meantime, a meeting of leaders has been announced for Tuesday by Prime Minister Zaev and VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickovski is likely to respond to such an invitation. Precisely, this law is expected to be on the table of debate, in the meantime as it is known that the leader of Macedonia’s main opposition party, Mickovski, will require for early elections. The earlier meeting of leaders had failed precisely because of this condition set by Mickovski.
North Macedonia is already in a completely different context, and the political “trips” that lack the dimension of minimal co-ordination on crucial issues seem almost impossible. But political parties, in this state of desperate citizens, seem to care more about themselves than about the general interest that is confused somewhere in the calculations of the political elites layered into public life as a disaster for citizens
Lost time, tactics, endless political cramps are the spells of visionless politics in North Macedonia. Political representation is not just electoral legitimacy and only party plurality. This representation needs permanent integrity and principles of values and commitments that transcend the pervasive “face-to-face” and “commercial” situations to cover and rescue incriminated persons. This remains a difficult battle that cannot be won with slogans. This battle requires correct engagements, long-term vision, and good practices that promote and cultivate institutional normality and professionalism.
Justice remains one of the most fundamental conditions that comes as a constant recommendation from the EU. Restoring trust in justice institutions requires serious disciplinary engagement related to establishing standards and professional integrity. This process does not depend only on the “bargains” of the political elites, but on a comprehensive commitment of all actors in public life. This process requires debate and institutional participation, requires the involvement of civil society and all other independent institutions that do not depend on the “bargaining” of political elites.