By Denko Maleski
At a time of two major wars — in Ukraine and the Middle East — and with humanity just “89 seconds” from nuclear Armageddon, our nationalists continue firing their patriotic salvos.
To justify their “resistance” politics, Macedonia’s nationalist leadership denies all diplomatic achievements of this small Balkan country that has struggled — and still struggles — not to drown in the turbulent sea of global politics.
The signing of the Prespa Agreement, according to one Macedonian professor who, as far as I know, serves in the office of the President, was “an act of high treason,” as he said recently on national television.
Another goes as far as calling for criminal liability for those who signed the Prespa Agreement.
The Prime Minister, obsessed with calling new elections — this time local — has accused a former Foreign Minister of “plunging a knife into the lungs of the Macedonian identity” by accepting the French proposal.
What kind of language is this for former officials who once led the country? When confronted with the argument that diplomatic solutions have brought Macedonia peace and progress for more than three decades, nationalists respond: we would have advanced and lived in peace even without signing anything. Some go as far as claiming that NATO and the EU would now be begging us to join, had we just held out and refused to sign a thing from 1993 to today. For instance, that we should have remained outside the UN as an unrecognized territory just to defend our constitutional name?
Of course, in international politics, one can never know what might have happened. But Macedonia’s patriots of all stripes claim to know: nothing bad would have happened to the state with a policy of defiance and resistance. In other words, instead of adapting to the harsh reality of international politics — which forces small countries into compromise if they wish to survive — we could have stood tall, defended our pride, and insisted on our right.
Thus, from the first “betrayal” — joining the UN as “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” to the Ohrid Agreement, the Prespa Agreement, the Bulgarian Friendship Treaty, and the French proposal — none of it, they say, needed to be signed. And Macedonia would’ve been just fine. What world do these people live in? Certainly not the real one. Just look at Ukraine and the Middle East.
“We asked for it,” as the saying goes. From my experience in the early years of independence, I know full well that international reality is far more complex than what nationalist ideology would have us believe. Staring at the screen, I asked AI a simple question: does nationalism as an ideology simplify international politics? Here’s what it said:
“Yes, nationalism can be seen as a simplification of reality in international politics. It often presents overly simplistic views of complex topics, emphasizing national identity and interests, while potentially overlooking broader global issues and interdependence.”
As someone directly involved in events, I can confirm this more credibly than anyone — and illustrate it with real examples of the complex issues the state faced in its early years of independence. Let’s not forget: that was the “American era,” the time of the “end of history” when law and democratic principles reigned. I can also speak about our own nationalist simplifications of what was, in truth, a highly complex situation — certainly more complex than the street chant echoing from bars and squares: “There is only one truth…”
My point is this: AI merely confirmed what I’ve learned firsthand about nationalist simplifications. Any serious analysis of the Ohrid Agreement, the Prespa Agreement, the Bulgarian Treaty, and the French proposal would prove the same.
I’ll resist my own cynicism and challenge the new authorities to try dismantling any one of these diplomatic agreements made by their predecessors — and then watch what happens to Macedonia.
But let me say it plainly:
Remove the so-called “betrayals” from the country’s current political architecture — and the state will collapse. Just so you know.