VIEWS 

Euro-Atlantic sun in Macedonia

Macedonia is young democracy. Accepting the basic democratic values implies that there is a democratic social character. It is its ideological matrix and above all it is a civilization choice of its citizens. If we want to analyze it deeply, then our attention will be towards what is young in the democracy we have. It briefly implies an insufficiently built (or worn out) democratic tradition and insufficiently built democratic ambient – democratic (procedural) practice – democratic conscious – democratic (civil) way of living. This drawback provides vacuum for manipulation of various motives, whose basic objective is to avoid establishing procedures and institutions. Since democracy, as a process and a system, simultaneously, is above all observance of certain rules for definite time, in whose kingdom rights and obligations of the individual, groups and the community as a whole are enjoyed and harmonized. Faster understanding and implementing these rights and obligations means creating conditions for faster development and welfare. It is a characteristic of democracies, which is a case with our country and society, the Republic of Macedonia.

However, young democracy also implies fragile democracy, which has been proven in the ‘90s of the past and the beginning of this century, the decade of bloody clashes and destructions in our region. At the time, no matter how dark the future seemed, the truth however hovered that in all that misery, we are lucky to be a part of Europe. Territorially and in civilization terms. As a part of the western civilization, our societies are adjusted (if there is no firm tradition that will result in contribution) for easier absorption of the values of freedom, democracy and human rights, which is a big advantage in this case. In this way the main factor that has moved our orientation towards democracy and progress was and still is the so-called Euro-Atlantic process of integration. That sun, that we are luckily closer to, shines towards us and with its energy contributes to total warming up of our state body, in all its structures. And since for the sun there are no borders as we, people understand them, it shines for everyone, including our neighbors, which is one more argument in favor of integration. I am convinced that we would not have this destiny if we were not so closely to the sun. Not only we would have a lack of weakened absorption of the values of the global system of democracy, or to describe the dilemma in another way: it is difficult to measure the contribution of our own effort to make changes towards integration?! I doubt we could have been able to withstand the challenges of the turbulent times we faced, since the insufficient capacity of the society as a whole has been confirmed a lot of times, above all of the most responsible ones, the political factors, firstly, to understand, secondly, to dedicate to it honestly, and thirdly, to run and solve the process of integration, additionally taking into consideration its multi-dimensions, complexity and dynamics. Therefore, literally in all reforms in Macedonia since its independence, from the biggest one, the so-called Ohrid agreement, to the trivial ones, as the protection of ownership’s rights in the new capitalist society or the financial independence of the third pillar of power – independent legal system through the Independent Legal Budget Institute, to the last reference for definite beginning of reforms in the health system etc., sometimes tender and often strong, warm sun ray is felt. The way to the sun is certainly not easy. Wisdom is necessary above all from the carriers of the processes, that way to be accelerated, an ambient to be created for the whole social system to be mobilized and placed in a position of contribution. There is space for everyone – that is what democracy is after all. In the dynamic world where we live today’s conquer of democratic space tomorrow becomes basis for new conquering. Therefore responsibility becomes bigger, at least from an ethic aspect.

The bigger the democratic space is, the bigger the general absorption power of the society becomes. One of the basic factors for accelerated absorption is education. Educated citizens in modern terms are of primary relevance for the society’s development. In that way the absorption that will become more efficient through the Euro-Atlantic reforms will take us to the big objective, to become a part of the sun, to integrate in it and then to continue to spread energy behind us, for the others.

 

(The author is a general secretary of the Euro-Atlantic club of Macedonia)