1 In that case, how about we bring VMRO back?
Congratulations. At this point, analysing how and why SDSM suffered its greatest electoral defeat in history is just a waste of time. After all, some of them claim that they’ve realised their mistakes, so there’s no need to explain them anymore.
VMRO-DPMNE returns to power, the party that still keeps alive the memories of its previous criminal rule. While Nikola Gruevski ruled for 11 years, SDSM kept complaining that it wasn’t in power and expected sympathy instead of being an active and accountable opposition. After it came to power seven years ago with the help of the civil force, it continued whining:” You know how it is, it’s not exactly as you’d expect, it’s not so simple, you really don’t understand how difficult this is”… and all of their excuses ended with the strongest argument: “In that case, how about we bring VMRO back.”
This historic defeat should be a wake-up call that complaints like “you’re all to blame that we’re not in power” won’t help them make meaningful reforms within their party. However, that’s an internal battle. Let them fight that battle themselves this time, if they can muster the strength for hard work, order and discipline.
Our country needs a strong opposition. But then again, even if it’s not SDSM, there’ll surely be someone else.
Whatever happens, history will record that SDSM wasted its epic opportunity to make sure “this evil will never happen again.”
2 With 58 mandates in the Assembly, VMRO-DPMNE can do whatever it wants. Hristijan Mickoski will have no one else to blame for anything. There’s no better way to see if these guys are the same as seven years ago or if they’ve improved in the meantime.
Immediately after the results were announced, he claimed that they recognised the mistakes of the previous government and will not repeat them. So he learned from the mistakes SDSM made. However, there was no mention of the mistakes during their 11-year rule, the mistakes he never apologised for. Now, he doesn’t even need to apologise. We’ll see very soon if he’ll repeat them.
Overall, I don’t really have any particular expectations from VMRO-DPMNE. I just hope things won’t be worse than they were in Gruevski’s captured state.
3 DUI is threatening to destabilise the country if it’s not part of the government coalition once again.
If the USA and the EU are true friends of Macedonia, now is the time for them to prove their support through action by allowing VMRO-DPMNE, as the winner of the elections with a huge majority of votes, to independently decide which parties will join the government. If they force Mickoski to form a coalition with DUI, they’ll only validate their threats of using weapons. And they’ll contribute to the instability of the state. DUI participated in these elections as part of the European Front coalition. Are they planning to take out their boots from the attic under that banner?
By potentially supporting their longstanding darling Ali Ahmeti, the USA and the EU would be supporting thuggish behaviour, fuelled even further by the public humiliation of the state. Artan Grubi proudly took a photo of himself boycotting the presidential election. Additionally, such support will strengthen Euroscepticism, which has already gone through the roof because of the EU’s unfair policies towards Macedonia.
4 All the congratulations extended to Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova by European leaders for her election as the president of the country come with a note expressing their hope that the country won’t deviate from the European path.
The EU itself increased the risk of Macedonia deviating from the European path. That path for Macedonians became completely uncertain the moment the EU supported the Bulgarian veto. When you demand that a nation change its name within 4-5 years, and instead of helping them to overcome that pain more easily, you go on to humiliate them by asking them to amend their Constitution by adding some of the people of the state that doesn’t recognise your existence, it’s no wonder voters in such a country may view EU policies as lacking good intentions.
It is what it is.
5 For the second year in a row, Macedonia doesn’t participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
It’s not a life-or-death event or an event that has historical significance, but to be honest, I feel bad that we’re not participating in Eurovision. I think a small country should use every opportunity it gets to promote itself and it shouldn’t miss out on events that are followed by over 160 million viewers worldwide. Especially considering the fact that your performance is guaranteed, you don’t need to negotiate, no one has the right to veto, and your song doesn’t even have to be that good. The Macedonian flag would be flown among others, the name of the country would be mentioned at least ten times, our representatives would be photographed… Simply put, we would be there.
People tend to complain about anything and everything. They say it’s expensive. It’s stupid. The songs are bad. It’s a freak show. They’re dressed weird. The voting is political. The public service broadcaster has no money for Eurovision participation.
We’ve had varying successes and failures at Eurovision. But after failing to qualify for the finals couple of times, Facebook analysts suggested that instead of the state spending money on Eurovision, it should buy ambulances.
How many ambulances have we bought with the money saved from not participating at the Eurovision for two years?
Translated by Nikola Gjelincheski
