Mickoski will get back at Zaev, but next year

“The message has been sent. The message of the people of Macedonia. The fall of SDSM begins. People are waking up. They cannot lie and threaten the people forever. This is their country. An excellent and powerful national gathering. Congratulations to all,” wrote former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski after Monday’s opposition rally in front of the government headquarters in Skopje. The VMRO-DPMNE’s former leader, however, did not show up at the rally and probably could not see that his party members and supporters did not share his feeling of euphoria. The new president, Hristijan Mickoski, pledged that VMRO-DPMNE would win the early parliamentary election, but the first impression is for this to happen, it will need a lot of work in its own ranks, and then reach the undecided and disappointed voters.

As always, it is difficult to estimate how many people gathered on this pleasant Saturday night in downtown Skopje. The most optimistic figures in VMRO-DPMNE mention about sixty thousand people attending, but the reality is probably not such. The stage was placed near the traffic lights leading to the stadium, so the citizens had to position themselves on the opposite side. There were people up to the end of the “Goce Delcev” bridge. Buses arrived from all over the country, citizens complained that the police used “tricks”, used by any government: extraordinary technical inspections, identification of those traveling to Skopje, repression… VMRO-DPMNE tried to show unity because, as they said, “Zaev and SDSM are the first and most important rivals, first we need to take them down, and then we will clear thing up between us”. The MPs on the opposite line from Mickoski (Ilija Dimovski and Antonio Milososki), Saso Mijalkov and Martin Protogjer showed up at the rally, coalition partners headed by Stevco Jakimovski also appeared, members of the Socialist Party were visible and transparent, whose three MPs play hot-and-cold with their behavior towards the opposition and the government. However, they did not receive support from the factional wing led by Filip Petrovski and Jove Kekenovski.

Andrijana Janevska warmed up the audience by singing patriotic songs, after which the video screen showed messages from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the President of the European People’s Party, Joseph Daul, who expressed their support to VMRO-DPMNE. One minute before 9 pm, with the sound of the VMRO anthem and lit torches, Mickoski climbed onto the stage. A choreography that has not changed in years. A few people were chanting “Hristijan, Hristijan!”. It is obvious that they will have to spend a long time in order for the membership to “get to know” the new president, who personally was impressed by the event, and started the speech too loudly and with a shaky voice. Then he relaxed. Later, the party told us that there were problems with sounding. One of the key messages was that they were demanding early parliamentary election alongside the presidential next spring. He asked for an equal campaign presence for all political parties, a president of the SEC proposed by the opposition, to establish a technical government 100 days before the early parliamentary election, just as it was in 2016 when, as he said, SDSM and its president Zoran Zaev lost the election. Regarding the name dispute with Greece, Mickoski stressed that VMRO-DPMNE will not support a change of the Constitution due to the change of the constitutional name.

“There is no clearer position than this. History will decide who was right. This is a historical period for all of us, the crossroads of which we are in, our being and in our history, the name issue is being resolved. Many expect to hear our attitude towards this problem, and here I have no option but to be honest and open to you,” said Mickoski.

He accused that the name talks are secret and non-transparent, and information about their progress is mostly coming from the Greek media.

“One who is in power plays with dignity and sells it cheaply, although it is priceless. Zaev said that there was no change in the Constitution and that they would protect the identity. As time passes, he says that the change of the Constitution is not a change of identity. They negotiate on a name change, and everyone will refer to us by that new name. An irreparable damage will be done for which there will be no going back,” said the leader of VMRO-DPMNE.

He reminded that NATO and the EU are an eternal aspiration, but the changes in the state must begin from ourselves. He said that Macedonia needs a reformed, responsible and high quality SDSM where, as he said, there are many people who disagree with what is happening, where there are quality people who can contribute to the wellbeing of Macedonia, but first Zaev needs to be defeated. He assessed last year, after SDSM took power, as a missed year, a year of political terror, arrests, intrusions, torture, economic failures.

“The Albanians, like the Macedonians, need new jobs, not unconstitutional laws on languages,” said Mickoski.

The leader of VMRO-DPMNE said that the party is working on a new programme that will be their roadmap and will soon be promoted. It is envisaged to reduce the profit tax for the companies in half, for those who use the second half for investment and new jobs, the abolition of the increased excise tax on diesel fuels, reconstructions, construction of new hospitals and massive investments in medical staff, direct offer to hire the best 500 students each academic year…
“The patriots are in prison, while criminals are walking free,” Mickoski exclaimed.

In fact, it was the only sentence that referred to Talat Xhaferi’s election as president of the Assembly and the events that followed. There was no mention of the verdict and the cases against Gruevski, the Law on Languages, the agreement with Bulgaria … The focus was on “Zaev’s and his family’s crimes”, which were booed whenever they were mentioned.

“We are absolutely satisfied with the protest. We had attendance beyond our expectations, surpassing numbers in all major cities than we expected. We are doing this rally just five months since a new president was elected, and in difficult conditions for us (fear of people, repression…). Mickoski, with a debut speech of that size, was excellent with a strong interpretation,” commented officials from the “White Palace”.
On the other hand, Filip Petrovski thinks that the membership was deceived.

“After they concluded that there would be no interest in economic theses, they changed themes with patriotism. The call that was sent to the membership was with topics such as the Tirana platform and a change of name. Unfortunately, this was not a topic in the speech of the illegitimate president of VMRO-DPMNE. There was no mention of Talat Xhaferi and the violent behavior. We were not named as Macedonians, but as fellow citizens about thirty times. The words were carefully selected to not angry the foreigners, so they could show us ‘mercy’ at some future time. To be a worthy reserved on the bench. At last, Mickoski gave another year to Zaev to complete his plans. He wants early election, but next year. You will agree, many liberal theses,” Petrovski said.

Prime Minister Zaev said on Saturday morning that the legitimate right of the opposition is to protest and that he will listen carefully to the messages. Immediately after the rally, his party estimated that after 11 lost years, the citizens do not have another life to entrust to a new Nikola Gruevski, which they do not want back in power.

“VMRO-DPMNE shows that there is no change in its behavior and action. There is no difference whatsoever: Mickoski continues to walk in Gruevski’s footsteps and, unfortunately, he again refuses to apologize to the citizens for the devastation that VMRO-DPMNE created in Macedonia,” concluded SDSM.

Goran Adamovski