“Let’s not forget that first and foremost Europe is a peace project, and one great idea based on the economic interest of the citizens of Europe. But if one virus shoots down the European idea than we were never worthy of it, or it was never worthy of existing,” said Professor Kekenovski
By Genc Mlloja
“I have always thought that we should have closer cooperation between the people and institutions of our two countries as real neighbors should,” has said Professor Ljubomir Kekenovski, PhD, Faculty of Economics within the State University of “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje.
In an exclusive interview with argumentum.al the focus of the talk was the coronavirus pandemic and its impact: the severest health crisis since the end of World War Two and its economic, social and even political implications worldwide, including the region.
The Professor is reluctant that until now we haven’t seen an act of solidarity between the countries of the EU, especially towards Italy and Spain. “Now, in this situation all the countries have become in a way competitors for donations, respirators, medical equipment, and drugs. This kind of practice, followed with strong medium support, has brought in light the logics of national state that experiences its revival,” said Professor Kekenovski. “One of the most evident facts in this crisis is that the EU has shown once more that in spite the numerous laws and regulations, it does not have a unique set of measures, instruments and policies for conducting in this type of crisis.”
Speaking of the EU decision to open accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania the professor dwelt on the 20-year experience of his country to arrive at this stage and, according to him, for North Macedonia, exhausted by all the injustice in the last decades, this is a small prize for all the compromises it has made. Moreover, the fact that this is still “date without a date” scared more Professor Kekenovski, who was a part of the negotiation team of the R. Macedonia that resulted with signing the agreement for stabilization and association with the EU, because now the cohesion between the main actors is not the same as it was a few years before.
When I asked the Professor on the post coronavirus ‘era’ his answer was sharp: “This is the beginning of the end of the neoliberal world and order, as we know it by now.” He believed that a new Marshall Plan would be a salvation for the EU and the region, but he was not sure that Europe had strength for that. Mr. Kekenovski was sure that this virus will pass, but he prayed that it takes a shorter period of time and makes as little damage as possible.
“The real fight that still stands in front of us is with ourselves, with our irrational expectations, with our personal irresponsibility and old habits that create an ambient that doesn’t recognize the best, reward the most productive one, but produces parasites, mediocrities and irresponsible elites,” noted the outstanding Macedonian Professor, Ljubomir Kekenovski in the following interview:
– In the first place thank you Professor Kekenovski for sharing some opinions with the readers of argumentum.al at these turbulent times as many things are in progress with all the potential focused on overpowering the coronavirus pandemic. Given such a critical situation, in your view, how are authorities handling the Covid-19 crisis in North Macedonia?
-Thank you for the invitation, and greetings to your esteemed readers. I have always thought that we should have closer cooperation between the people and institutions of our two countries as real neighbors should. As far as the current health crisis is concerned in our countries we always learn about the right side of the story post festum. When you have a situation of restricted access to information, the pandemics of false news rises, which is more dangerous than the virus itself. Many unknown things and dilemmas are connected to this virus on an international level. When this thing passes, then in peace and from a distance, looking through new glasses we will need to reconsider all the aspects of our reaction, compare it with other countries and then we will have a clearer picture.
– Observing what is being done in the Western Balkans to restrict the pandemic I am reluctant to confess that I do not see any meaningful cooperation among the regional countries. I am prompted to ask for your opinion on this issue because regional cooperation in the field of the management of natural disasters has been a key issue of many regional initiatives, including the Berlin Process.
-I agree with your statement, and would like to add that this is a unique social process, when we egoistically turned to our countries and even dipper to our cities, neighborhood, locked down into our apartments with our families, similar to those bunkers in the time of Enver Hoxha. Actually we behave as Vladimir and Estragon in the Theater of the Absurd of Samuel Beckett, who wait for the Godot thorn apart between the illusion and reality.
If we are speaking the truth, until now we haven’t seen an act of solidarity between the countries of the EU, especially towards Italy, Spain… Making a fond for sanitizing the damages after the crisis is not an act of solidarity because money can’t replace a human act of help and condolences in the hardest moments. This has once more confirmed the old maxima, that in time of economic wellbeing / high tide everybody is your friend and in time of crisis and poverty/ low tide when water/old privileges recedes, everybody saves themselves. This is a new phenomenon when all the countries in the world have the same problem, in the same time. It is another thing when you in Durres, or recently in Zagreb, had an earthquake, and a lot of countries could mobilize and help. Now, in this situation all the countries became in a way competitors for donations, respirators, medical equipment, and drugs. This kind of practice, followed with strong medium support, has brought in light the logics of national state that experiences its revival.
One of the most evident facts in this crisis is that the EU has shown once more that in spite the numerous laws and regulations, it does not have a unique set of measures, instruments and policies for conducting in this type of crisis.
– ‘A decision amidst pandemic’. This is how some analysts have characterized Brussels’ decision to open the accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. However, how do you evaluate such a decision and secondly, which are your expectations from such a development for the two countries and people?
-I was a part of the negotiation team of the R. Macedonia that resulted with signing the agreement for stabilization and association with the EU. It took place in Zagreb in November of the year 2000, as to symbolically transfer the chance to Croatia in that process. In the following 20 years, some major changes occurred that lead to the fact that Romania and Bulgaria, who were far behind us in this process, became members of NATO and EU in a few years. Montenegro, that was a part of Yugoslavia, separated from Serbia, became a member of NATO and has started the negations with EU. I can’t comment about the situation in Albania in a most competent way. You are more familiar with it than me, but for Macedonia, exhausted from all the injustice in the last decades this is a small prize for all the compromises we have made. Having in mind that this is still “date without a date” I am more scared that now the cohesion between the main actors is not the same as it was a few years before. Therefore, I would say that the pessimistic statements that we will have turbulent years in economic, political and security aspect in front of us are not unfounded.
As a comment on this situation and the whole process we in Macedonia have a saying that goes like this “when the poor man wanted to dance the drum broke”
-Coming to the critical issue- the pandemic, Professor which will be the economic, political and social implications of the coronavirus crisis in North Macedonia?
-Even though different countries will have different variations to the same post-covid 19 crisis, none of them can have sustainable national solutions for the challenges that lie in front of us. This is because of the fact that it will need a lot of money, funds that a lot bigger countries than ours will be challenged to obtain. In the next period, we will be able to see clearer that under the cloak of this virus, there are deeper processes hidden, and different screenplays will be played. In doing so, it is evident that the political mood of the countries will change rapidly, the euro skepticism will rise, and new actors will offer to be patrons of our economic rebirth, if EU doesn’t cover our space with one robust financial action.
-Hopefully one day Covid – 19 will remain behind as a past nightmare, but how much will its impact be felt on the economy of your country, particularly on big, medium and small businesses? According to your forecast, how long will it take for the recovery, of course, depending on the normalization of the situation?
-Your country as well as Bulgaria and Romania, has gone through some really tough moments from the beginning of the transition, as well as ex- Yugoslavia with the sanctions and the war. In that context, everybody has one more bitter experience, unlike Macedonia which has been an island of a relatively peaceful socio-economic transition. At this moment, this crisis for the first time will bring us in a social clash, separation and poverty not experienced before by the Macedonians. For us this will be more frightful and painful than the process of privatization itself, that left 200, 000 people without a work in a matter of couple of years.
In the next period, the economic balance between the main social actors will be disturbed, and will leave the gate wide open for social protests and conflicts to the army of the poor, who will be hard to moderate by the state itself, without an international help. Even though, for the first time this will have a direct impact on the wages and standard of the public administration, the final price will be paid by the poorer of the citizens. At the same time, depending of the scenario that will be realized, we have to look at this moment as a chance to recompose and regenerate the private sector with new non-interest loans and credits. That is why the pressure will be bigger on the banks and financial institutions to bear a larger part of the social responsibility and solidarity in the next period. The sooner they understand this in their own interest, the better comfort and existence it will provide for them in the future. Otherwise, I’m not sure that under the heat of the future social protests, the monetary and financial system will stay in the same form as we know it by now.
In terms of the time frame, if the west world, which we are a part of, succeeds to go back to their work positions at least some time by June, we will need a few turbulent years to recover, first of all from social conflicts and possible reconfiguration of economic and political actors in the society. On top of all that, as Jean Jac k Russo would say, a new social contract is in front of us with new actors/partners in the dialog for our future.
-The ‘phantom’ virus has shown it could cross borders around the globe hitting hard every country big or small, developed or underdeveloped. My question has to do with the issue of globalization. Will the world be faced with a re-design of the global economic order accompanied with a reconfiguration of the existing alliances?
-This is the beginning of the end of the neoliberal world and order, as we know it by now. When we would all look into our backyards and our interest, I would say that making one new Marshall Plan would be a salvation for the EU and the region. But does Europe have strength for that? I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Damaged by the Brexit, wounded by the sovereignist calls for the return of the concept of the national states, disoriented from the propositions of Europe in several speeds, have strongly undermined the European idea.
Even more, today on the European horizon, I don’t see any visionaries of the caliber of Robert Shuman, Jean Monnet, statesman as Adenauer and De Gaul. However, I think that the new age and the actual increasing challenges will produce men with that kind of personality. Let’s not forget that first and foremost Europe is a peace project, and one great idea based on the economic interest of the citizens of Europe. But if one virus shoots down the European idea than we were never worthy of it, or it was never worthy of existing.
Despite everything, we as small states, have a necessary economic and political need to live in larger communities, as the Ottoman kingdom and Byzantine Empire were.
All other solutions that include forming new blocks and borders, for us will lead towards new political primitivism and birth of old Balkan stereotypes and prejudices that never brought anything good for anybody in the region.
That is why, in conclusion, I would say that this virus will pass, but let’s pray that it takes a shorter period of time and makes as little damage as possible. But, I’m afraid that the most dangerous virus that resides deeply into our mentality and in every pore of the social life and state institutions will live on.
The real fight that still stands in front of us is with ourselves, with our irrational expectations, with our personal irresponsibility and old habits that create an ambient that doesn’t recognize the best, reward the most productive one, but produces parasites, mediocrities and irresponsible elites.
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