Twenty Fifth Accession Watch Report
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TWENTY FIFTH ACCESSION WATCH REPORT IN THE NICK OF TIME Twenty Fifth Accession Watch Report TICK-TACK IN THE NICK OF TIME June 2015 TICK-TACK IN THE NICK OF TIME Twenty Fifth Accession Watch Report Publisher: Foundation Open Society - Macedonia For the publisher: Fani Karanfilova-Panovska, Executive Director Prepared by: Macedonian Center for European Training and Foundation Open Society - Macedonia Proofreading and Translation into English: Abacus Design & Layout: Brigada design, Skopje Print: Skenpoint Circulation: 500 Free/Noncommercial circulation CIP - Каталогизација во публикација Национална и универзитетска библиотека “Св. Климент Охридски”, Скопје 321.64(497.7) 341.171.071.51(4-672ЕУ:497.7)”2015” ТИК-так тик-так на минутка до дванаесет : дваесет и петти извештај од следењето на процесот на пристапување на Македонија во ЕУ. - Скопје : Фондација отворено општество - Македонија, 2015. - 146, 144 стр. : илустр. ; 24 см Насл. стр. на припечатениот текст: Tick-tack in the nick of time : twenty fifth accession watch report. - Обата текста меѓусебно печатени во спротивни насоки. - Текст на мак. и англ. јазик. - Фусноти кон текстот ISBN 978-608-218-227-8 а) Тоталитаристички системи - Злоупотреба на должност - Прислушување - Македонија б) Македонија - Зачленување - Европска Унија - 2015 COBISS.MK-ID 99536906 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. WHERE ARE WE IN JUNE 2015? 7 Unscrupulous arrest of Ljube Boskovski (BOMB #3) 23 Journalists – target of interception (BOMB #4) 24 1. LATVIA’S EU PRESIDENCY: Political vendetta continues (BOMB #5) 26 STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, DIGITAL EUROPE We spend on chocolate, but don’t have for bread (BOMB #6) 26 AND THE EU AS GLOBAL ACTOR 9 Zoran Stavreski’s press conference 27 Gordana Jankuloska’s statement 27 2. MACEDONIA IN POLITICAL ABYSS 11 Statements of individuals “offended” by the bomb 27 Law adopted through the back door 28 3. ACTION FOR COUP 12 Election nightmare, first instalment (BOMB #7) 29 Do crimes in question fulfil theoretical elements? 13 Election nightmare, second instalment (BOMB #8) 31 Feeble attempt at preventing “Truth about Macedonia” 15 Municipality of Centar, at any cost (BOMB #9) 32 EU worries about the political dialogue 15 Personal interests, part one (BOMB #10) 33 Everybody expresses concern 16 Election nightmare, third instalment (BOMB #11) 35 Court rulings “à la carte” (BOMB #12) 36 4. “SOMEONE” DISCLOSES A STATE SECRET 17 Urbanism mafia under direct control (BOMB #13) 37 Kickbacks and commissions (BOMB #14) 38 5. METHODOLOGY 18 Fat commissions in public procurements (BOMB #15) 39 Election nightmare, fourth instalment (BOMB #16) 41 Election nightmare, fifth instalment (BOMB #17) 41 II. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 19 The Hague cases – irreclaimable ace card (BOMB #18) 42 Bitola caught in the cobweb (BOMB #19) 42 1. CHRONOLOGY OF WIRETAPS DISCLOSED 19 Government as the Bureau of Employment (BOMB #20) 43 Opening the can of warms (BOMB #1) 20 Personal interests, part two (BOMB #21) 44 Whaz up?! 20 Bullseye on Stip (BOMB #22) 45 Faithful to death 21 Municipality of Centar at any cost, part two (BOMB #23) 45 Gorge Ivanov’s position 21 Government as editor-in-chief (BOMB #24) 46 Disclosure of public secrets (BOMB #2) 22 Truth about “Vizaris” (BOMB #25) 47 Twenty Fifth Accession Watch Report Defenders used as bargaining chip (BOMB #26) 48 III. ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 71 Who intercepted communications? (BOMB #27) 49 Truth about SGS (BOMB #28) 49 1. HAHN’S FIRST VISIT 71 Truth about Martin (BOMB #29) 50 Truth about Mladenov (BOMB #30) 51 2. GRUEVSKI – JUNCKER MEETING CANCELLED 72 Mercedes (BOMB #31) 52 How about waging war? (BOMB #32) 54 3. GRUEVSKI’S VISIT TO NATO 72 Won’t give up the name (BOMB #33) 55 Deal-oriented (BOMB #34) 56 4. RESOLUTION ON THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA 73 Baroque is one, classicism is another thing (BOMB #35) 57 Jankuloska’s and Stavreski’s apartments (BOMB #36) 58 5. DEMARCHE FROM THE EU AMBASSADOR ORAV 74 Who confirmed authenticity of released wiretaps 58 6. BRUSSELS RESPONDS TO THE PUBLIC PROSECUTION 75 2. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS ACCOMPANYING THE BOMBS 60 Secret services: storytelling for the Macedonian public 60 7. BRUSSELS TALKS 75 Caretaker government is possible and feasible, First round of talks 75 but without VMRO-DPMNE 61 Second round of talks 76 VMRO-DPMNE’s rallies in other towns 62 Third round of talks 76 Branko’s letter 62 Fourth round of talks 76 Gosince: pulp fiction or act of terrorism? 63 Fifth round of talks 77 Police action in Kumanovo 63 Sixth round of talks 77 Several unanswered questions about the police action in Kumanovo 64 8. HOYT YEE VISITS MACEDONIA 77 How did Serbian and Albanian media cover the incident?! 65 Telephone conversation between Rizaj and Ndrecaj 66 9. COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS 78 Financial assistance and rewards for members of security forces 66 10. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CALLS FOR RESIGNATION 79 Terrorist manages to escape because of police inattention 67 Resignation as precondition for independent investigation 79 Evidence material is delivered 67 Boiko Borisov with advise for resignation 80 Citizen and counter-citizens 68 11. MEETING WITH THE GROUP OF SIX AMBASSADORS 80 4 TICK-TACK IN THE NICK OF TIME 12. MEETING BETWEEN ZORAN ZAEV AND BOIKO BORISOV 81 Nepotism in the judiciary 93 The iron hand of the law 95 13. SUPPORT FROM RUSSIA 81 Partisan appointments, unconstitutional dismissals 95 3. HIGH LEVEL ACCESSION DIALOGUE FOR THE DEAF AND IV. ACCOMPANYING CIVIC MOVEMENTS 83 TESKOTO BY THE EU 96 Lustration as stigmatization 96 1. STUDENT PLENUM 83 4. THE REBIRTH IS DEVOURING ITS OFFSPRING AND 2. HIGH SCHOOL PLENUM 85 EUPHORIA FOR EUPHOBIA 98 Media crisis 98 3. REFERENDUM FOR #ILOVEGTC 86 Docket: A1 TV 98 Docket: MPM 100 4. PROTEST OF FREELANCE AND PART-TIME WORKERS 86 New episode of the series “media” 100 Gruevization of media – Macedonian phenomenon 101 5. PLATFORM FOR CIVIC POLITICS - AJDE! 87 Mutilated fourth estate 101 6. PROTEST OF GENERAL STOJANCE ANGELOV 88 5. TESKOTO BY THE EU AND EUPHORIA FOR EUPHOBIA 102 Crossing swords with political opponents 102 7. PROTEST FOR TAMARA AND RESIGNATIONS FROM KOSMOS befitting 102 HEALTH INSURANCE FUND MANAGERS 89 Detention for the critically-minded 103 Macedonian democradura 104 8. PROTEST FOR MARTIN NESKOVSKI 89 VI. STATISTICS ABOUT THE BOMBS 105 V. ANTICIPATION OF BOMBS 91 1. WHAT DID THE BOMBS REVEAL 105 1. HIGH LEVEL ACCESSION DIALOGUE FOR THE DEAF 92 Travesty of justice 92 2. OVERVIEW OF COLLOCUTOR PAIRS ACCORDING TO DATE OF RELEASE 107 2. ARRANGED MARRIAGE?! 92 Rule over law: plenty of room for Skopje 2014 92 3. OVERVIEW OF WIRETAPS RELEASED PER COLLOCUTOR 116 5 Twenty Fifth Accession Watch Report 4. OVERVIEW OF WIRETAPS DISCLOSED PER COLLOCUTOR PAIR 118 VII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 121 1. FIVE TRAPS AND CHANCES OF THE EU-SPONSORED TALKS 121 2. PROPOSED MEDIATION FORMAT 125 3. CONCEPTS OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT 126 4. TASKS OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT 128 VIII. ANNEXES 131 1. RESOLUTION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 132 2. COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS OF 21 APRIL 2015 141 3. COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS OF 16 DECEMBER 2014 141 6 n June 2015, all key factors in the European Union (hereinafter: EU) focused their attention on negotiations between EU institu- tions, EU Member States and group of creditors, on one side, and the Greek Government and its team led by new Prime Minister ...I... IAlexis Tsipras, on the other side. Notably, SYRIZA (a coalition of radical leftists) has won people’s trust on parliamentary elections held in Jan- uary 2015. SYRIZA is civic and political movement, transformed into political party in July 2013, whose key political credo is based on rejec- tion of austerity measures imposed on state budget during mandates of governments led by Papandreou and Samaras.1 SYRIZA’s electoral victory triggered serious political shakedown WHERE ARE WE across Europe because, for the first time, political party that is openly against austerity measures and belongs to so-called radical left has IN JUNE 2015? won elections. SYRIZA’s raise in power is often referred to onset of left- winged populist waves in South Europe, mobilized against austerity measures, for example, Podemos in Spain, etc. Hence, certain circles in the EU treat this election outcome as historic event.2 1 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30975437 2 http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-anti-austerity-syriza-wins-historic-greek- election-victory-2015-1 7 Twenty Fifth Accession Watch Report SYRIZA’s governmental programme is based on its Pre-election Plan the International Monetary Fund, by the end of June 2015.5 Moreover, for National Reconstruction. This plan3 is comprised of four pillars rep- as of July 2015, Greece should receive the third rescue package intend- resenting main policies aimed at addressing the deep economic and ed to prevent any possibility for the state’s fast-tracked bankruptcy political crisis in Greece, those being: 1) confronting the humanitarian and financial illiquidity.6 Therefore, all EU actors exerted pressure on crisis (example: 300,000 families are without income and their suste- the Greek Government to design plan with measures that would guar- nance needs to be subsidized); 2) restarting the economy and promot- antee the state will be able to service its liabilities towards the Euro- ing tax justice (example: change of the taxation policy in the field of pean creditors. On the other hand, SYRIZA has won the elections by property tax); 3) regaining employment (example: restitution of cer- offering political programme that fiercely opposes austerity measures tain labour rights and of collective agreements); and 4) transforming that implied budget cuts for public administration employees, pension the political system to deepen democracy (example: greater power to benefits and other social transfers. local authorities and more instruments for direct civil participation in policy making, such as civil veto for laws, civil legislation imitative, and In the heat of these negotiations, IMF announced its withdrawal the like).