1 We’ve heard just about everything from the Assembly rostrum, yet it’s difficult to recall anything more inhumane than the remarks made by Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska, the Minister of Finance, towards Slavjanka Petrovska, MP. Certainly not in the past 15 years. Back in April 2010, at a committee hearing on the Family Law, the then-member of Parliament from VMRO-DPMNE, Anita Stefanovska, unhappy with the speech of Radmila Shekerinska, the then-MP from SDSM, bluntly told her: “Enough talking, go give birth!” The VMRO-DPMNE MP never apologised but instead justified her actions by saying that she had genuinely been concerned for her SDSM colleague, who at the time was heavily pregnant, and added that “it was of utmost importance for the state that she give birth to a healthy Macedonian baby”.
The situation is no different now. Minister Dimitrieska-Kochoska hasn’t apologised for telling the MP: “On what basis do you dare talk about mothers with children, and how do you know how much a large family should spend? I am a mother of two boys, and I know very well how much a large family should spend.” She’s trying to convince us that she didn’t intend to offend the MP for not having kids, but that her words were simply taken out of context.
In short, don’t trust what you heard with your own ears, instead, trust the ruling party’s interpretation of what you’ve heard. But, we do have our own ears.
Aside from the fact that, as a minister, she came to the MP’s house, the Parliament, and, during a parliamentary questions session, became angry at the MP’s audacity for asking her questions about the price of milk, given that she has no sons, but she also insulted everyone disgusted by her discrimination based on marital status, labelling them as SDSM bots, and insisted Slavjanka Petrovska enjoyed playing the victim.
It’s hard to believe the Minister’s female party colleagues don’t actually realise how inhumane what she uttered at the Assembly rostrum was. But they don’t feel offended, because they are proud followers.
Minister Dimitrieska-Kochoska said, “For me, this topic is closed.” Well, it certainly is.
A minister from the ruling party believes that simply because she is married and has two sons, she has the right to silence an MP in Parliament. And instead of apologising on her behalf, the ruling party backs her and even rubs it into the MP’s face that she doesn’t have children. This is how the Minister of Finance, Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska, has instantly allowed this VMRO-DPMNE to reveal the true colours of the VMRO from 15 years ago. In case anyone had doubts about those colours.
2 At the United Nations, Macedonia didn’t support the European Resolution on Ukraine, which labels Russia as the aggressor and demands a full withdrawal from the occupied Ukrainian territories. Instead, Macedonia co-sponsored the American resolution, which calls for an end to the war without naming Russia as the aggressor. Macedonia abstained from voting on both resolutions.
Has Trump promised us something? Do we have a particular deal with Washington? Has Mickoski received solid guarantees from across the Atlantic, prompting the Government to take a dramatic turn in Macedonian foreign policy?
Foreigners often joke at our expense when we inevitably blame everything on the “promaya” (“draught”). They say they can’t find an equivalent term in their languages for such a powerful natural phenomenon that causes headaches, back sprains, eye twitching, shoulder pain, colds, and even diarrhoea. Now, when they ask us why we voted the way we did in the United Nations, the answer is: we’re sore from the “promaya”. You’ve kept us waiting in the hallway for 20 years, not letting us in, it’s been blowing from all directions, and the “promaya” has really taken its toll. Just when it seemed like we caught the favourable wind, we even changed our name and finally joined NATO – bam, we hit a wall called Bulgaria. So much for open doors, so much for windows of opportunity.
It’s reasonable to seek shelter when the wind is blowing from all directions. It’s reasonable to look for an alliance. Prime Minister Mickoski accuses the previous government of uncritically accepting everything the EU asked of them. Does that mean that his government will now uncritically accept everything the US demands? Trump started changing his statements almost overnight. True, the EU has left us in the “promaya” for 20 years, but at least they know where to find us on the world map.
And, most importantly, Trump cares only about American interests. What about our strategic interests? Joining the EU? Or becoming the 51st American state? Or perhaps joining the EU with Trump’s help? Mickoski claims that now everyone will go to Washington to beg Trump. They will indeed. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves if we think that the USA will fall out with the EU states simply because they don’t want to admit Macedonia.
3 Just as Mickoski’s euphoria with Trump gains momentum, so does the idea of becoming a 51st state of the US. There’s no need for Trump to look to Canada when we’re right here. If he’s so eager to put little American flags everywhere, why not do it here, in the heart of Europe. And just as the EU is negotiating yet another summit to arrange another emergency summit, and with our Prime Minister still on “Trump’s perimeter”, why not tell the EU – if you don’t want us, there’s someone who does.
North Carolina, North Dakota, North Macedonia.
We meet all the conditions. In the 1991 referendum, we voted for independence, as well as the right to join an alliance of states in the future. Truth be told, that implied joining former Yugoslav countries, but no problem, our Assembly shall make an authentic interpretation overnight, as it’s known for resolving matters solely with the will of the majority. This is how the political challenge will be overcome. As for defence, we already pay 2% of the budget, just as Trump demands. The American flags are flying over half the country’s territory, inside administrative buildings where the Macedonian flag is almost nonexistent. Mickoski will become the governor of the state of North Macedonia. We just need to find a job for President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. And of course, Elon Musk will join us with his chainsaw to cut jobs in public administration.
In order to come to Macedonia, Bulgarians would need an American visa. And when filling out the forms, they’d have to say who Goce Delcev and Tsar Samoil belong to. Makes sense? Well, it doesn’t. It certainly doesn’t. But this is how low the European Union has taken the conversation. And they aren’t ashamed of it at all.
4 Macedonia is one of the 24 countries that have informed the European Union of their intention to import waste, including iron, zinc, aluminium, lead, cooking oil, cardboard, paper, and glass. In the next phase, the European Commission will decide whether this country has the capacity to manage this waste in an environmentally friendly manner, in line with EU regulations.
Even now, we import waste from our non-EU neighbouring countries. At the same time, we don’t know what to do with our own waste. In the future, the EU will tell us what kind of waste they are allowed to send us.
Even when it comes to waste, it has to be from the EU. European waste is our waste too.
Translated by Nikola Gjelincheski
