Love in time of referendum

Aneta Dimovska

Autumn, October 1, 2018. The sun rose again over Macedonia. Some are still in the referendum mood, and when they drink their morning coffee they think of yesterday and the act when they proudly chose the option “FOR” European Macedonia, and in the air, besides the smell of coffee, they feel the prosperity that is present after yesterday’s “quantum leap” towards NATO and the EU. Some drink tea, but they can still sense the smell for victory and prosperity. Others, not very satisfied with the historical opportunity they were given, are putting away their shoes of lead with which they went to the polls yesterday to encircle “FOR” North Macedonia. They feel the smell of trouble, so they try put their shoes somewhere handy, aware that they will soon have to put them on, on the road again to a new difficult decision, or when they leave would have to leave their homes.

Others acted as the heart was telling them, and it tells them that the agreement is capitulating, while the referendum question is unlawful and indecent. Therefore, some went and voted “AGAINST”. This morning smells like cold to these people. It would have been better if they were more. Many #BOYCOTTED (they feel the smell of ajvar), some ignored it (it is already October 2 for these people, because for them September had only 29 days), others abstained (always a good part of people, without their heart telling them to).

I will not talk about the result. More important than figures is that in the previous passage written in Macedonian there are many invisible and difficult, very difficult lines written in the language of hatred: quarrels, disgusting curses, swears, even life threats. There are a million and eight hundred thousand traitors, and no patriots. Those lines filled with negative charge and emotions weigh more than every action and result, and smell of carcass.

We killed the Republic of Macedonia. All of us killed it… with greed, hatred, laziness, lack of honor, irresponsibility, corruption, non-implementation of laws, double standards, big dreams, and the renunciation of our own autonomy and acceptance of other’s will or judgment.

All this because of lack of courage, because of obedience to individuals and disobedience of institutions. Yes, obedience can kill.

As long as one is obedient to those who have the power (state, political party, other authority), he/she feels secure and protected. These people never make mistakes, because someone else decides for them, they cannot be lonely because they are with those who have the power, cannot commit a sin… Often, they do not think or actually don’t care which power they obey.

To be disobedient, one must have the courage to be alone, to make mistakes and commit sins. Being brave means to think and feel on your own and, sometimes, to know how to say “no” to those in power. These disobedient ones were attacked for their own views, both from the servants of a certain center of power, as well as from the very center of power. So, those who are free, those with different opinions are shamed by the obedient, and considered as being not mature enough or excessively destructive by the center of power that they do not obey in order to be allowed to live without being someone’s servants.

Thus, in conditions of lack of harmonized positions at the national level on key issues, as well as in conditions of lack of a clear vision and capability for their realization, the Republic of Macedonia has segmented on many grounds and many different centers of power have been promoted (political parties, institutions, international organizations, domestic and foreign individual authorities, etc.). This has created many obedient, as well as many disobedient. From there came the hatred among the people and the atmosphere of unbelievable madness, complete chaos and strong smell from the organism, which we continually hurt (thinking that we are actually nurturing and growing it), after which came an open call of the power for “whipping” us.

Unacceptable and sad… We are claiming to live in an economically and socially advanced country, with ideas of politics and society from the middle Ages. Both the “need of whipping” and the improvisations of a different nature totally eroded the ties between individuals who delegated the right to make decisions and those who make them on their behalf.

Is it possible to move on after everything that happened, and how?!

Firstly, the extremely complex situation in which the Republic of Macedonia imposes the need of relaxation and tranquility on one hand, while at the same, time restoring the confidence of the citizens and building loyalty and adherence to the country on the other. Probably the last mechanism available to us is to reach a national consensus on the important issues that are important for the survival of the country, to establish a strategy for further action and to concentrate the power of the various centers and authorities in the Government that will have great support of the citizens.

Hence, it is necessary to form a broad coalition government with a clear mandate to push the processes that are necessary: ​​to restore faith in the state and institutions, to reform the justice system and administration and to provide economic and social conditions for a normal life of citizens. Such a government must be composed of officials who are professionals with high integrity, in order to be able to rise above the populist spiral that dragged the Macedonian society to the bottom and build a system of values ​​in which citizens will receive approval for their own contribution.

In the legislature, citizens must be represented by brave, sometimes disobedient (meaning free) people’s representatives who will draw the legitimacy directly and personally from the one who delegates them. Thus, consideration should be given to the introduction of a principle of pre-election voting, that is, to an open election list, so MPs could win the most individual votes in the communities they come from. This will mean the democratization of the parties, but more importantly, more MPs with integrity and competence who can contribute with advanced ideas in the Parliament.

The smell of prosperity from the EU and NATO is mixed with the smell of trouble and cold in the first autumn days, the smell of coffee, tea and ajvar on bread… This is how it smells here. Perhaps it is better if we leave the archaic passions of fear, hatred and greed, and obsolete clichés. Perhaps we could resurrect the Republic of Macedonia with respect, with responsibility, with hard work, with principle, honesty, law enforcement, with the same standards for all, with less dreams, and more pragma. Perhaps…

The title ‘Love in time of referendum’ is just surrealism, because there is no love in time for a referendum. And, perhaps, there is one who thinks about it. Perhaps…

The only thing that is certain is that tomorrow the sun will rise again.