1 The false bomb threats are old news. We survived the white and semi-white bread crisis that lasted for several days. For almost three weeks there’s been no insulin for diabetics. There’s also a lack of some other medicines and medical supplies for the public health sector because the tenders weren’t completed on time. There are two or three new ministers and deputies and some new parliamentary majority… All in all – business as usual in Macedonia, without any major events of historical significance. The current state of things is so easy-breezy that Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi personally went to inspect supermarkets in Skopje and buy some bread.
Heaven knows how nice things are in the world of their self-promotion on Facebook. Considering the fact we’re paying so many people to take photos of them and post about their daily achievements, they themselves have probably started to believe in their own social media posts. That’s why when asked a question about accountability and transparency they reply with a counterattack – you’re not in favour of the EU.
That’s not true. The vast majority of Macedonian citizens are in favour of the European Union, despite the fact that in the last two or three years public opinion polls have shown decreased trust in the EU. There’s no Euro-scepticism in Macedonia. There’s Euro-realism. As opposed to Euro-opportunism. That Euro-realism stems from our disappointment with both the EU and our own country. Our disappointment initially came from Bulgaria imposing its San Stefano dreams in the EU enlargement agenda, then it was made worse with the silence of the other 26 member states, it eventually turned into a feeling of despair and helplessness because of the incompetent Macedonian political elites who hide their corruption behind the EU integrations and don’t put European values into practice. They ramble on about the EU not because they care about European values, but because they want to get access to European funds. They grabbed the story of European integration so they’d grab larger commissions.
The reason why the quality of our life is bad isn’t because we’re not in the EU. It’s bad because corruption and crime are deeply rooted into our party elites, and our citizens are so resigned that they don’t mind being robbed by the ones they voted into power. Parties are stealing as if there’s no tomorrow, stealing vertically and horizontally, they don’t even bother hiding, let alone be ashamed of it.
We’re all sick and tired. Sick and tired of Bulgaria and of the unfulfilled European promises, but mostly of our country being held captive and being robbed by the parties. The only ones who are not tired are the thugs. Unlike us, they haven’t lost their form in the marathon to the EU.
2 The biggest obstacle to the inclusion of Bulgarians in our Constitution is Bulgaria itself. We’re not talking about someone writing on Facebook “Boo Bulgarians, I’m not coming to Bansko this winter”, but about official statements by Bulgaria’s highest political representatives. We’re talking about President Rumen Radev, who states that the Macedonian people is made-up. We’re talking about a declaration of the Bulgarian Assembly which states that the Macedonian language is Bulgarian. And we’re talking about the European Union, which accepts all of that as normal behaviour of a member state.
Are we ready to pay that price to join the EU? If we are, let’s change our Constitution. And then, when Bulgaria tells us to bend over because our shoelaces are not tied according to the EU standards, are we ready to kneel even lower?
Politicians will change the Constitution anyway. Whether it’s going to happen in November this year or after the elections next year – it doesn’t really matter. However, all the drama around the Constitution getting changed is not because someone has something against Bulgarians. It’s because of the frustration with Bulgaria’s attitude and EU’s silence. And most importantly – the doubt that this harassment will ever stop.
3 The plate of a street name in the municipality of Chair was changed with so much pomp that you’d think it was an achievement of pan-European proportions. Vojdan Chernodrinski got a street in the municipality of Centar, and the street that bore his name in Chair will now be called Hodja Ataulah Kurtishi. The street name plate was changed with great razzmatazz, applause, kisses, a solemn academy in the Albanian theatre, a hundred men who neglected their duties in the middle of a workday and got together to listen to a lecture about the hodja’s life…
The name of the street is holy, but the street is just a dirt road in Chair. However, now that the name of the street has been changed, the quality of life for citizens will improve. That street will be swept and washed regularly. There’ll be no rubbish around the waste containers on that street. Children will safely walk to school because there’ll be no cars parked on the pavements. Packs of stray dogs won’t bite passersby. Pet owners will pick up poop in plastic bags. No one will throw cigarette butts. Improperly parked cars will be towed, and police officers won’t bump themselves into the tow truck. Drivers won’t drive recklessly on that street. And even if they do, the police will be allowed to fine them.
I wonder, when it comes to these guys from DUI, no matter if they are “fiery” or “non-fiery”, do they respect their voters that much that they’re selling the change of a street name as a political success?
Translated by Nikola Gjelincheski
