Near-final thoughts before the referendum
September 30th draws near. On this day, Macedonians will be asked to vote in a referendum on the future of the country. It is probably the most important decision Macedonians have faced since voting for independence in 1991. While the government has framed the referendum as a chance to get into NATO and the EU, nothing in life is guaranteed and getting in remains just that: a chance. The government is telling citizens that NATO and EU membership will make the country rich, that being in the clubs will create the rule of law, and that such membership will bring peace, stability and security. But it is hard work that will make the country rich. It is a change in attitudes, minds, and hearts that will bring about the rule of law, and Macedonia has been relatively peaceful, stable, and secure since independence; the 2001 conflict was brought into Macedonia, from outside, for the most part.
Macedonians are being asked to give up their name, their Constitution, and their dignity in return. While the agreement, on paper, recognizes the identity “Macedonian” it also tacks on an additional identity, “Of the Republic of North Macedonia” which is not an identity at all. And while the agreement, on paper, recognizes the Macedonian language, it also tacks on an additional qualifier to that language, “Slavic.” Over time, these things will fade as the full force of the agreement kicks in and as Greece, along with Bulgaria, demand more concessions in order for them to ratify the 35 chapters for EU accession and as Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania demand more concessions in order for them to ratify Macedonia’s NATO accession. The price being asked of Macedonia is simply too high and when one looks at EU and NATO member Bulgaria, for instance, one sees a chronically poor country, with high-profile assassinations in its business community, a weak rule of law throughout the country, and Bulgarians still fleeing the country for other EU states 11 years after the country joined the EU.
And there are alternatives to getting into NATO and the EU right now. On NATO, Macedonia is already as close to NATO as possible — in fact, about the only thing Macedonia cannot do is vote at the North Atlantic Council, the decision-making body of NATO. On the EU, which is Macedonia’s largest trading partner, Macedonia already enjoys excellent relations and could, if it wanted to, get as close to the EU as possible, something akin to the relationship Norway has with the EU.
Some further thoughts:
On Monday, September 17, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis came to Macedonia to decry “Russian influence” in the referendum. At the same time, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, in answering a journalist’s question, stated “I have no evidence of any Russian influence in Macedonia. The Russian Federation is a friend of the Republic of Macedonia…” One must ask a simple question: What is Zoran Zaev up to? Is he protecting some type of Russian interests (personal or otherwise) or is he lying?
Panos Kammenos, the defense minister of Greece, junior coalition partner in the Greek government, and leader of the Independent Greeks party, recently told Kathimerini newspaper two important points about the agreement and Zoran Zaev. First, regarding the agreement, he said “The agreement will not be ratified. We the government partners will do everything in our power so that it is not ratified. We have clearly said that we will not vote [for the deal]. I have made this commitment publicly some time ago.” Second, he accused Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev of “saying things that are not in the agreement” and that “The government should complain to the prime minister of FYROM for violating the agreement…Zaev is not explaining that the country will no longer be called ‘Macedonia.’” That last part is absolutely true and Zaev continues to refuse to say anything about the name change.
Finally, the internationals, primarily, Westerners, who hold Zoran Zaev and members of his government in such high esteem at this moment in time, know for a fact that he won’t be in power forever, or, perhaps, even a few years from now. Because they hold no love or admiration for him, they will drop him the moment he losses power, understanding that he was, all along, a useful tool for them and their agenda. They know all too well that Macedonians, seeing no real economic progress under the Zaev/Tsipras agreement (if fully implemented), will tire of Zaev and his antics and will eventually throw him and his government out. At this point Zaev will have played his role in this and can be unceremoniously dropped. I’m not sure he understands this.
This agreement is bad for Macedonia, bad for the Macedonian people, bad for Macedonia’s history, bad for Macedonia’s culture, bad for the Macedonian language, and so much more. The leaders of the US, EU, and NATO have been flooding into Macedonia to say that this is a “now or never” moment and that untold riches await Macedonia if the Macedonian people vote yes in the referendum. None of these things are true.
The future of Macedonia belongs to the Macedonian people and on September 30th, the Macedonian people can send a signal to these people and members of their own government: Enough. Our sovereignty belongs to us and is not for sale.
Make sure the referendum fails. Boycott the referendum.
