Agreement – alive or dead

 Erol Rizaov

Those who declared the agreement with Greece as dead and those who signed it, those who support it and those who oppose it, will have to take responsibility for the consequences if they bury the the very much alive and twice ratified agreement by a majority of MPs in the Assembly of Macedonia. The establishment of the previous criminogenic leadership of the anti-European and anachronist revolutionary nationalist political party VMRO-DPMNE and Pro-Russian President Gjorge Ivanov with their anti-European and anti-NATO activity have caused great damage in achieving the strategic goals of the country and the citizens.

The damage is so great that, even if the parliament adopts constitutional changes, or if the parties for European Macedonia win conclusively in early elections and secure a two-thirds majority, the division of Macedonian society will remain for some time after its admission to NATO and the EU. That means for at least 10 years. And that’s the optimistic forecast. On the other hand, tragic are the assessments of what will happen to Macedonia if, on its own fault, the last stage of its Euro-Atlantic integrations fails and we give up before the finish line of this difficult marathon, which we have been running for decades.

Warnings from domestic and foreign authorities – that this is the last chance for entry into the European family – did not give the expected results for the referendum to become a holiday of democracy, and even less the interpretations and events after the last week’s (non) vote of the citizens with the acquired turnout that we have in the constitution, but not in reality. Gjorge Ivanov and Hristijan Mickoski are the main spokespersons of the headquarters of the anti-European integration of Macedonia. They overturned 650,000 votes of the citizens who voted, and the SEC and all institutions in the country do not feel responsible for the reality of the phantom voter list that is growing each year while the number of residents is reducing.

We don’t need expert analyzes and scenarios, nor any additional warnings from the top EU and NATO of what will happen if the agreement with Greece were to be annulled. In that case, the facts with great certainty suggest a destabilization of the country with good prospects of disintegration. It turned out that the easiest thing would be to annul the agreement, which has already been ratified twice in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, thus saving the constitutional name, and everything else being brought into question. We will have a constitutional name, without the addition North, and whether we will have a state, and if we do have one, what kind of state it would be, there is no answer from the opponents of the agreement, not from those who vote against the referendum, but from those who abstained on September 30, whose silence has appropriated the old-new leadership of VMRO-DPMNE. Looking for salvation from justice and judicial decisions, opponents of NATO and EU membership are still preaching stories that a new agreement with Greece is still possible, a more favorable agreement than this one, and that they will open the doors of NATO and the EU when they come back to power. The facts or the very clear messages do not apply to them, messages not only from the top of NATO and the EU, but also from the statesmen of the most powerful Western European countries and world powers, from numerous proven friends of Macedonia and from the leaders of the sister right-wing and popular political parties, which are all appalled by the anti-European course of VMRO-DPMNE.

In this divided Macedonia, the most rational, most pragmatic and smartest decision in the Parliament is to authorize President Talat Xhaferi to sign the ratified agreement because the president of the state unconstitutionally opposes to publish it in the “Official Gazette”. Then there would be unanimous acceptance of the amendments to the constitutional amendments provided for in the Prespa agreement. This will put all relevant political parties and MPs in line with the citizens as the most responsible for the historic decision. Over time, victims will become heroes for their right and courageous choice.

The elections are more complicated. They can bring the desired victory, but with additional difficult consequences. If the European parties win by a two-thirds majority, the constitutional changes will be adopted, but many other problems that have already been announced and other constitutional changes that are not provided for in the Prespa Agreement will be created. The victory of the European-oriented parties without a two-thirds majority will be equal to a defeat, that is, a re-position and even deepening of the crisis. The victory of the opponents of the Euro-Atlantic integration, that is, VMRO-DPMNE will finally mark Macedonia’s farewell to NATO and the EU. Unless they sign the agreement in an urgent procedure, not accepting that they have done a great deal of fraud and not acknowledging that the agreement was not put to question, but the return of the Mafia to power.

Hristijan Mickoski’s latest public appearance, when he requested the replacement of the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office, clearly states that the entire composition of VMRO-DPMNE in the parliament will raise two hands, maybe even a foot if necessary, to accept the agreement – just so the party’s top does not go to prison.