The Macedonian state will be guilty if it stops the accession process, says the EU representative in the country. Why would you stop? Because part of the Macedonian politicians and intellectuals, ignorant and without experience in state affairs, do not understand that, as in life, in international politics there are no guarantees as they desire. There are only possibilities, chances. As soon as we were presented with the opportunity to get down to serious work in fulfilling the membership criteria, we decided to problematize the whole process with a referendum.

Macedonia does not need a referendum, but leadership that can produce European change. The referendum, as a form of direct democracy, only undermines the much-needed political leadership in Macedonia. In the Balkans, especially for a topic like ours, putting major political decisions directly before the voters means nothing but misfortune. What outcome is expected from a referendum against the "French proposal" when it is known that the majority of voters reject it?

The opposition demands a referendum after the president of the republic's speech, says the leader of the party of Macedonian nationalists. It is manipulation, the president answers after several days of silence, which has caused confusion in the public about the reasons that made him make this careless statement. Now, when the word has fallen, to be in line with the president's thinking, it may mean that the opposition party would also accept his formulation of the referendum question: Do you want the Republic of North Macedonia to be a member of the EU? The president is sure that with such a clearly formulated question, the pro-European coalition will defeat the anti-European policy made up of VMRO-DPMNE and the Left. But what is certain in politics? Aware of that fact, he adds: if it is not so, "all of us who are in this place will withdraw"... All? I think that, if there is a referendum declaration, partly due to the president's fault, it is enough for him to offer his resignation. With that act, he will give strong support to the Government, which completely rejects the idea of ​​a referendum and decides to lead using the instruments of representative democracy.

The wave of discontent towards the EU that the Macedonian politician or intellectual should oppose is terrible. The wave consists, in addition to the majority of the people, the opposition and former presidents and high party officials even from the party in power itself, intellectuals from MANU and universities, media editors, non-governmental organizations, financed by EU funds and who not. All of them, together with the genius pianist Simon Trpcevski, who, in a modest folk interpretation, called the Macedonian people to wake up and not sleep, as if they had one common message: that the state should not succumb to international pressures, to postpone the start of negotiations and to wait for the time when we will be "dignified" admitted to the Union. If only they understood the true nature of international politics, they would at least think twice before uttering such nonsense. Or, if only we were dealing with Putin and not Van der Leyen, we would see very quickly what "dignity" is. It is enough for them to carefully follow the Russian aggression in Ukraine to understand that Darwin's laws of survival of the fittest and the fittest rule on the international stage. Personally, watching the war in Ukraine on TV, I feel like I'm watching one of those National Geographic episodes where the lion tears the antelope to pieces. It's just that, in this case, one country is tearing another apart, and we watch helplessly and silently.

I don't know how the referendum initiative will end, but I think it's a very bad idea, with any referendum question. Thirty years after the declaration of independence, daily leadership in understanding and resolving difficult international relations, first with Greece, now with Bulgaria, has been absent for too long. Leadership that will enlighten the minds of people polluted with history, with hatred, with supremacy, with doubts, with fear, for now, in a referendum, to ask that same people what to do next. I don't like harsh words, but a referendum result that stops our negotiations with the EU is a recipe for disaster. Because we can save the country only if we change and if we finally catch up with Europe and the world. Without a state, there is no language or nation. For that lofty goal, it is worth heeding the advice of the Dutch ambassador in Skopje to those in the country who do not understand the true nature of international politics: "Shut your nose, swallow the French proposal and move forward." Before the microphone was taken away from him, the pragmatic Dutchman suggested that through negotiations and with financial support from the Union, we should make Switzerland out of our country with our own hands and minds, and in seven or eight years, we should refuse to enter the EU if we don't want to. His words reminded me of a conversation with Hans van den Broek 30 years ago, when the Dutch foreign minister said to me: "You know, we as a nation of cheese makers and traders, would find a compromise with Greece." Where was his pride when he expressed himself like this about his own identity? In the ability to joke at his own expense and at the expense of his nation.

The author is a university professor and former diplomat.