Stockholm, 19 June 2023 (MIA) - Dialogue between political actors in a democratic society has a special place as the only way to resolve political misunderstandings and harmonize different opinions, while the Parliament is an arena where different political viewpoints and interests converge to be heard, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi told a Conference on Democracy in Europe in Stockholm on Monday.

"After all, the meaning of democracy is precisely in the right of every parliamentarian to participate in parliamentary discussion and dialogue. That is why the strengthening of political culture is crucial in the development of democracy," said Xhaferi. 

He stressed that in the past 30 years, the country has gone through many transitions in its democratic development and yet, despite everything, today it is a country that is starting EU accession negotiations, it is a NATO member and a loyal partner of the international community, which of course is a big a benefit for the people and for the development of our democracy.

"The role of the Parliament in the process of strengthening democracy and the rule of law is important and great, and we need to work hard on strengthening the essential democracy that citizens will feel concretely, not just formally. Formal democracy represents only a formal and institutional framework for democracy, a set of formal rules and procedures, while essential democracy, which we should strive for, represents a state in society and a tendency to achieve equality. This difference between formal and substantive democracy is much more pronounced in Eastern European countries. And in this context of essential democracy, among other things, the character of the Constitution, the perception of human rights, the role of political parties, the role of the media, civil society, etc., are of crucial importance," Xhaferi pointed out. 

He stressed that the country has gone through several stages on the way from formal to essential democracy, and with the Constitution of 1991, it proclaimed itself as a liberal and democratic state, based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

"In our country, it took time, and it still takes time to establish that essential democracy, which I understand as a way in which political elites participate in a political competition with equal and fair rules, where they participate equally in the process of making political decisions or, as Abraham Lincoln said, I quote, "Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people," said Xhaferi. 

The Speaker noted that amendments to the Constitution were adopted in 2001, which made equal collective rights of the various ethnic communities one of the basic political principles of the state, and in 2019, after the Prespa Agreement with Greece, constitutional amendments changed the name of the country to the Republic of North Macedonia.

"Now, we're faced with yet another "challenge", i.e. the need for new constitutional amendments in accordance with the Negotiating Framework with the European Union. It is actually the so-called "French proposal" under which we accepted a compromise and agreed to include in the Constitution the Bulgarian community living in the Republic of North Macedonia. I hope that this commitment will be completed, so that we can finally and concretely start the negotiations with the European Union," Xhaferi added. 

According to him, parliamentarians can make a great contribution in overcoming the challenges related to the division of power, the processes of control and democratization of the political elites, the fight against corruption, the protection and promotion of human rights, the cultivation of good interethnic relations and dialogue, and the development of parliamentary diplomacy.

"All this is in the hands of parliamentarians, and that contribution reflects on the development of democracy. In the process of openness and democratization towards the civil sector, parliaments in liberal parliamentary democracies have an important and central role," said Xhaferi. 

Speaker Xhaferi is attending the conference, on June 18–19, together with a delegation of MPs Sonja Mirakovska, Ramzi Mehmedi and Nikola Micevski.

The conference is part of the parliamentary dimension of Sweden’s Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers.

Photo: Parliament