1 The fact VMRO-DPMNE states it will participate with ministers in the technocratic government but won’t vote for the Government, as stupid as it may sound, is not inexplicable when it comes to the leadership of Hristijan Mickoski. It would even be surprising if he, at least this time, didn’t hold opposing views on everything, as has been the case since he became the party’s leader. I want to join NATO, but I don’t want to vote for the constitutional changes. I want to join the EU, but I don’t want to vote for the constitutional changes. In reality, VMRO-DPMNE has been against everything and has obstructed everything the whole time it’s been in opposition. Why? Just in case.
It’s the consistent policy of the largest opposition party – to never take responsibility for anything, so there’d always be someone else to blame. And, as usual, they now say – I want elections, I want a technocratic government, but I don’t want to vote for a technocratic government.
Which responsibility does Mickoski seek to avoid now by not voting for a technocratic government, one in which he’d have a minister of internal affairs, a minister of labour and social affairs and several deputy positions in key ministries?
Every day, for years, he’s been repeating “I want elections” like a broken record. Finally, it’s time for elections. However, before elections, there should be a technocratic government for 100 days. Now someone should ask Mickoski: Do you want elections or not?
2 There’s nothing secretive about the secret lunch involving Ali Ahmeti, Dimitar Kovachevski and Zoran Zaev, which lasted for four hours, because someone from DUI made sure the meeting wasn’t kept secret by revealing the news as an exclusive on “Klan” TV. The statement that “in the meeting, they discussed the European front and the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections” sounded like yet another dry announcement with empty phrases about our EU future, written in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi.
In simple terms, that means that SDSM, as the largest ruling party, is seeking help from DUI so they wouldn’t lose catastrophically in the elections this spring. What’s European in the governance of DUI, aside from Minister Bujar Osmani’s tall tales about our EU integration? What’s European in the governance of SDSM, apart from the tall tales of Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Marichic regarding the clusters, the screening process and the photos taken in Brussels?
Apparently, they spent four hours talking about the EU. I wonder, did talk about Macedonia? Whom will they sell the story about European Values considering they came to power promising justice, yet in seven years, they’ve failed to properly execute a single case? Not only have they failed to restore trust in the institutions and the judiciary, which were seized by VMRO-DPMNE, but they even passed a law to reduce the sentences for all those we wanted to see locked up during the protests and made it possible for them to avoid getting locked up.
They’re visionaries. That was confirmed by the fact they ensured they themselves wouldn’t be locked up in future, if they were caught stealing.
That right there is their vision for Macedonia’s future in the EU.
3 Next time they exchange European ideas over lunch, perhaps they should invite Danela Arsovska, the mayor of Skopje. At her enthronement as the leader of the old “New Alternative,” the general secretary of SDSM, Mile Zechevikj, was the guest of honour. They respond with political culture to her culture, as she beat their candidate Petre Shilegov with a scheme concocted in the palace of VMRO-DPMNE carefully presented as a story of “an independent candidate, a successful manager, a woman.”
They must be extremely desperate if they believe that Danela will divide Mickoski’s electorate to such an extent that it would help SDSM win the elections.
They’re consciously pushing away the voters who’ve traditionally leaned towards them, turning Danela into a factor that could siphon votes from VMRO-DPMNE, hoping that DUI will make up for the votes SDSM will lose because of that move. Do they even count the votes they’ll lose with these calculations? At the same time, they think highly of themselves, believing they’re an equal partner in the negotiations. That they’re not the ones begging, that they’re the ones setting the conditions for a coalition. That DUI would just help them. Free of charge. As an act of goodwill. For the sake of our European future. And once they win, how will they rule in the European front? Same as before. Every time someone points out corruption, nepotism, bullying and incompetence, DUI will accuse of Albanianphobia, and SDSM will legitimise corruption and will bash the ones pointing out all those things.
So, the time has come for the state-building SDSM to place their trust in DUI and Danela to save them in the elections. And in the meantime, from a state-building party, with all that corruption, greed and incompetence, it has transformed into a destroyer of the state. That’s why it meets for lunch with the like-minded.
4 This is a political strategy that we with average intelligence can’t understand. Unless it’s been designed in such a way that even if they lose the elections at the state level, they’d be able to win tenders from the City of Skopje for at least two more years.
5 Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski says that nepotism in state companies is a characteristic in all countries undergoing transition, but “the time is coming when professionalism will be the most important thing, the most crucial thing.”
What time is coming? The time of VMRO-DPMNE, which showed what it’s like to have professionalism without nepotism for 11 years, when the prime minister’s cousin was appointed as the head of the secret police so he’d control all of us, when his godfather was appointed as minister of finance and oversaw the robbery of public funds? The time is coming for our next prime minister to be a party leader who’s advanced in his profession by working as his father’s assistant at a state university.
Given that SDSM has been in power for seven short years and failed to put an end to nepotism and employments in state companies under party patronage, the time is coming when VMRO, MVRO, with its professionals and staff untainted by nepotism will resume where it left off seven years ago.
Let’s enjoy our meal.
Translated by Nikola Gjelincheski
