On Tuesday, February 26, a “Joint statement by the Heads of Mission of the European Union, the OSCE, and the United States in Skopje” was issued in Skopje:
“The Heads of Mission of the European Union, the OSCE, and the United States in Skopje today issued the following statement: This country is currently at a critical juncture. The aspirations of its citizens for a better future, as well as the country’s political stability are jeopardized by the current crisis. There must be a move away from public ultimatums, fixed positions and short term tactics towards direct dialogue and compromise in the best interest of the citizens and the country. We urge in this respect all political leaders to take responsibility and without further delay find a definitive solution to the current political crisis.”
Allow me now to change it slightly, so that it is directed to the political leaders in America:
“The Heads of Mission of the European Union, and the OSCE in Washington, D.C. today issued the following statement: This country is currently at a critical juncture. The aspirations of its citizens for a better future, as well as the country’s political stability are jeopardized by the current crisis. There must be a move away from public ultimatums, fixed positions and short term tactics towards direct dialogue and compromise in the best interest of the citizens and the country. We urge in this respect all political leaders to take responsibility and without further delay find a definitive solution to the current political crisis.”
I deleted three words and added two. And yet it could easily work for the new audience, American politicians for the current fight over the budget in America (without going into greater detail, suffice it to say that there is a major fight right now between President Obama and the Republican leadership over a cut of less than 2.3% of the overall budget. The President claims that essential government services will be cut starting March 1 and the Republicans are accusing the President and the Democrats of scare tactics. There is gridlock in Washington, DC. Sound familiar?).
Back to the statement: When a statement is so bland that it applies to any audience, does it really mean anything?
Now, I have absolutely no idea if the authors of the statement are directing it specifically to the SDSM, the Government (meaning VMRO-DPMNE and DUI) or all of them. I would hope that it is directed to SDSM but then if it is, why not say so? Oh, I know: diplomatic-speak and playing nice. But when does playing nice – in such an environment – produce positive results?
To their credit, a number of politicians have come out and directly blamed SDSM: Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, condemned SDSM's actions stating, according to the Southeast European Times, “The whole country is made hostage by this party due to its own political reasons. In my opinion, the Macedonian government is not unprepared, but SDSM is.” Richard Howitt, the European Parliament’s special rapporteur for Macedonia, was also blunt telling the Macedonian Information Agency “As I very clearly told all the political leaders in your country during my visit last week, the European Parliament does not support a boycott of elections.” (Though he needs to say “Macedonia” more often.”)
But when it comes to a group statement, what is needed is more meat, more teeth. What is needed is a direct rebuke of those who are obstructing the process and a direct demand that the opposition gets back in the proverbial sandbox and plays according to the rules of the game. As far as I have seen, the Macedonian Government has offered several ideas, including direct dialogue and compromise but this has been rejected by SDSM. The blame is entirely with the SDSM and this needs to be said publicly.
Such bland statements as the February 26 statement do not drive home the correct message and do little to engender respect or a following for those issuing them. Margaret Thatcher once famously said, paraphrased, “Who will follow anyone who says ‘Follow me, for I stand for nothing.’” That may be one reason why the EU, for example, is losing influence not only throughout EU countries, but also throughout countries that want to join the EU (or formerly wanted to join).
Come to think of it, I can directly link this type of action (or inaction as the case may be) to the name issue with Greece and now the “good neighbors” issue with Bulgaria: No one in these institutions is willing to come out publicly and say what they all say privately, namely, that Greece is wrong (and now Bulgaria) and that bilateral issues have no place when deciding membership in the EU and NATO. When you tell your five year old son, “Now Branko, you must play nicely with your sister” and leave it at that, what does it accomplish? Nothing. But when you say “Branko, you will play nicely with your sister or we will paddle your little rear end,” then you get movement. I know these institutions can do this: I have in my files statements from the past, from the EU and the US, which publicly laid the blame in another situation, over ten years ago. But I’ll save that for another column.