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The Left (North Macedonia)

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The Left
Левица
PresidentDimitar Apasiev
Founded14 November 2015 (2015-11-14)
HeadquartersSkopje
Ideology
Political positionLeft-wing[1][2] to far-left[3]
ColorsRed
Assembly
2 / 120
Website
levica.mk

The Left (Template:Lang-mk, Levica) is a socialist[4] political party in North Macedonia founded on 14 November 2015.[5][6][7] It is led by Dimitar Apasiev,[8][9] a Docent of Law at the Goce Delčev University of Štip.[10]

Foundation and ideology

The Left was formed by three principal movements: the Communist Party of Macedonia, the movement Solidarity, and the Movement for Social Justice "Lenka," which its parliamentary leader Dimitar Apasiev belongs to.[11] It defines itself as a party advocating workers' rights and social justice, while opposing "inter-ethnic barriers" and ethnic nationalism.[5][12] Its party statute lists a "movement towards socialism", leftist patriotism, anti-imperialism and secularism as its founding values.[13]

Internally, the party has declared its intention to structure itself along the lines of democratic centralism.[8]

Nationalism and minority rights

It has spoken out against Albanian nationalism in North Macedonia and has opposed the legal expansion of the Albanian language into North Macedonia's judicial system, dubbing it "an expansionist blast of Albanian nationalism" in favour of the Albanian Democratic Union for Integration, which it considers a "criminal party". The Party deemed the law as only increasing the ethnic rift in North Macedonia, which they opined ought to be a country run by a civic, rather than ethnic character, which they deem would lead to good inter-ethnic relations. It has come out against what it dubbed a division into "Macedonian" and "Albanian" blocs in the country,[14] defining itself as a "supra-ethnic" party.[15]

The party's political program continues to refer to the country as the Republic of Macedonia, instead of the constitutional "Republic of North Macedonia" as negotiated in the Prespa agreement.[16] Balkan Insight has accused The Left of borrowing policies from the far-right.[17]

In September 2020 its leader Apasiev was testified at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Skopje after receiving three criminal charges for spreading racial, religious and ethnic intolerance.[18]

Foreign policy

The party has vehemently opposed the Prespa agreement and the renaming of the Republic of Macedonia into the Republic of North Macedonia, instead supporting a state-sponsored international campaign for full UN membership under the country's old name.[19] It has also dismissed the renaming of the country as unconstitutional, and as such should be revoked.[20] It has declared its intention to void the agreement, should it come into power in North Macedonia.[21] It has also announced that it would only take part in a coalition government if that government would renounce the Prespa agreement.[9] The party's main reason for opposing the name change is its feeling that the deal is only intended to bring the country closer to NATO's influence, which they see as an imperialist organisation, as well as saying the deal completely absolves Greece of any past actions against Macedonians.

The Left opposes NATO, which they accuse of starting imperialist wars and of being a threat to world peace. On this basis, it has called for the suspension of NATO accession talks.[22]

It has dubbed North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov's recognition of Juan Guaidó as Interim President of Venezuela as a "typical stance of a vassalistic and subordinate country that has completely lost its sovereignty as an independent state".[23] The party has supported Nicolás Maduro as President of Venezuela, as it considers him democratically elected.[24]

It supports military neutrality for North Macedonia and a "principle of zero problems with neighbouring countries". The latter it defines as "solving problems without bringing historical baggage", friendly relations with Balkans countries and a principle of self-determination, which they opine gives all people the right to define their own name themselves.[25][16]

The party's leader has stated in an interview that North Macedonia’s membership in the European Union might potentially be a positive thing, but that the country should stay out if the cost of membership was a change in its name and identity.[20]

In their 2020 general election program, the party put forward the idea that North Macedonia should "withdraw the recognition of the State of Israel, Kosovo and South Korea", while supporting the independence of the State of Palestine, Catalonia and the Basque Country. They also suggested a review of the Friendship Agreement between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, as they consider parts of it to amount to historical revisionism and a "rehabilitation of fascism".[26]

Social and environmental issues

The Left has opposed the government of Zoran Zaev and his Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), accusing them of an "unbecoming attitude"[19] and later of electoral fraud and blackmail.[27] The Left's leader has predicted that SDSM will follow the fate of PASOK in Greece.[28][unreliable source?]

It also opposed the previous government of Nikola Gruevski, whom they consider an "autocrat", as well as his VMRO-DPMNE.[7]

The party has declared a principled opposition to conservatism, clericalism and patriarchy.[15] It is supportive of LGBT rights in the country.[29]

The Left celebrates and organises rallies for the Day of Victory over Fascism, being the only Macedonian political party to organize events for the non-official holiday.[30]

It has described North Macedonia as undergoing an "ecological cataclysm", which they consider a direct result of the "political and social catastrophe that is happening to all spheres of daily life".[31]

The party's electoral program declares support for free healthcare and education and considers neoliberalism and "wild capitalism" to be the root of most of North Macedonia's economic problems.[16][25] It views healthcare and education, as well as economic growth and organised labour as the "biggest enemies of terrorism" in North Macedonia.[16]

Electoral performance

Assembly of North Macedonia
Year Popular vote % of popular vote Overall seats won Seat change Government
2016 12,120 1.05%
0 / 120
 New Extra-parliamentary
2020 37,426 4.13%
2 / 120
 Increase 2 Opposition
Local elections
Year Councillorships won Mayoralities won Councillorship change Mayoralty change
2017 3 0 New New

References

  1. ^ "North Macedonia". Europe Elects. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  2. ^ "North Macedonia's Pro-EU Social Democrats Win Elections, Face Complex Coalition Talks". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. ^ Lika, Dr. Idlir (22 July 2020). "Corona elections in North Macedonia produce ambivalent results". Anadolu Agency.
  4. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "North Macedonia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b Левица (20 October 2015). "Покана за прес - Формирање на „ЛЕВИЦА"". Левица (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Формирана Левица – нова политичка партија". А1он. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b "New Macedonia Party Aims for Left-Wing Revival". Balkan Insight. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  8. ^ a b 365.com.mk (16 December 2019). "„Левица" ја менува структурата, за прв претседател избран Димитар Апасиев". 365.com.mk (in Macedonian). Retrieved 23 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b "Левица ќе коалицира за влада само со оној што ќе го поништи Преспанскиот договор". Фокус (in Macedonian). 17 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Апасиев: Договорот за името треба да го склучи претседателот, а не премиерот". Lider.mk (in Macedonian). Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  11. ^ http://levica.mk/2015/10/20/pres-levica/
  12. ^ "„Левица": Ќе се бориме за социјална правда, демократизација и против меѓуетничките бариери". МКД.мк (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  13. ^ СТАТУТ НА ЛЕВИЦА (PDF). 2019. p. 2.
  14. ^ "На иницијатива на Левица, Уставниот суд оформи предмет за оценување на Законот за јазиците". МКД.мк (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  15. ^ a b "ENGLISH". Левица (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  16. ^ a b c d "ПРОГРАМА". Левица (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  17. ^ "North Macedonia's Left Party Borrows Heavily From Right". Balkan Insight. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  18. ^ Апасиев со контрапријави до оние што го пријавија за ширење говор на омраза. 360степени. 16 септември, 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Тристранен отпор срещу идеята за ново име на Македония". www.economic.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Интервју на „Лидер" со Димитар Апасиев: Секоја наредна влада ќе има право да го раскине договорот Димитров-Коѕијас!". LIDER (in Macedonian). 6 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Левица: Поданичкиот однос спрема шовинисткичките политики на странскиот фактор е погубен за Македониjа". iPortal (in Macedonian). 25 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Левица: По самитот на НАТО, има ли крај на понижувањата од македонската дипломатија". МКД.мк (in Macedonian). Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Позицијата на македонската Левица за состојбата во Венецуела". Антропол (in Macedonian). 12 March 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  24. ^ "Левица: Поддршка за венецуелскиот народ во борбата против империјализмот!". Антропол (in Macedonian). 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Интервју со Димитар Апасиев: Левица го задава последниот удар на режимот!". okno.mk. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  26. ^ "Levica programa pdf 2020" (PDF). levica.mk (in Macedonian). 11 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  27. ^ Левица (8 February 2020). "Класичен предизборен поткуп и уцена од страна на владеjaчката СДСМ". Левица (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  28. ^ "Апасиев: СДСМ на овие избори ќе исчезне од политичката сцена, како ПАСОК". Република (in Macedonian). 17 January 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  29. ^ "Левица". s-front.org.mk. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  30. ^ Гласник (14 May 2018). "Антикомунизмот на победниците од студената војна". Гласник (in Macedonian). Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  31. ^ "Левица:Без радикална политичка промена невозможна е еколошката промена". Антропол (in Macedonian). 31 October 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
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