Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity
Encyclopedia
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity is a nationalist
political party
in the Republic of Macedonia
. The party describes itself as a Christian democratic
and pro-European political party which supports the admission of Macedonia to NATO and the European Union
. It is ethnically based, claiming that "the party's goals and objectives express the tradition of the Macedonian people on whose political struggle and concepts it is based". http://www.vmro-dpmne.org.mk/mk/zapis.asp?id=3076
was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
. The VMRO–DPMNE claims ideological descent from the old VMRO.
in 1980, SFR Yugoslavia began to disintegrate and democratic politics were revived in Macedonia. Many exiles returned to the newly independent Republic of Macedonia from abroad, and a new generation of young Macedonian intellectuals rediscovered the history of Macedonian nationalism
. In these circumstances it was not surprising that the name of the famed Macedonian rebels was revived. Under the name VMRO–DPMNE, the party was founded on June 17, 1990 in Skopje
.
. After their victory in the elections, they formed a new government with Ljubco Georgievski as Prime Minister. In 1999, VMRO–DPMNE's candidate Boris Trajkovski
was elected President, completing VMRO–DPMNE's takeover. Once in office, Trajkovski adopted a more moderate policy than expected.
In 2002 VMRO–DPMNE's government was defeated at the legislative elections. In an alliance with the Liberal Party of Macedonia
, VMRO–DPMNE won 28 out of 120 seats. In 2004 Trajkovski died in a plane crash and Branko Crvenkovski
was elected President, defeating the VMRO–DPMNE's candidate Saško Kedev.
The first President of the VMRO–DPMNE and its founder was Ljubco Georgievski, and the current president of the party is Nikola Gruevski
.
The party became the largest party in Parliament again after a net gain of over a dozen seats in the July 5, 2006 parliamentary elections. With 44 of 120 seats, the party formed a government in coalition with the Democratic Party of Albanians.
On May 15, 2007, the party became an observer-member of the European People's Party
(EPP).
On the 1st of June, 2008, following the dismissal of the Macedonian Parliament
on April 12, early parliamentary elections were held.
The elections were followed by series of violent incidents in the north-western parts of Macedonia by the Albanian minority, which has a national majority in those parts of Macedonia, while in the other parts of the country, the elections were followed in peaceful, fair and
democratic atmosphere. The results were victorious for VMRO–DPMNE and for its leader and prime minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski.
In the 120 seats Parliament, VMRO–DPMNE won 63 seats, enough to form its own government, and by that, the party won 4 more years of dominance in
the Macedonian Parliament (mandate period 2008-2012) and government control. The acting President of the Republic of Macedonia
(mandate period 2004-2009), Branko Crvenkovski, acknowledged the victory of VMRO–DPMNE on the 1st of June, 2008 parliamentary elections,
and after the Parliament constituted itself on the 21st of June, 2008, the President Branko Crvenkovski on the 23rd of June, 2008
gave the VMRO–DPMNE's leader and current and future prime minister Nikola Gruevski the mandate to form the new
Government of the Republic of Macedonia (mandate period 2008-2012).
In 2009, the party had another two major successes. While the VMRO–DPMNE-led coalition "For a better Macedonia" won in 56 out of 84 municipalities
, the party's proposed presidential candidate Gjorge Ivanov also won the presidential election.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. The party describes itself as a Christian democratic
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
and pro-European political party which supports the admission of Macedonia to NATO and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. It is ethnically based, claiming that "the party's goals and objectives express the tradition of the Macedonian people on whose political struggle and concepts it is based". http://www.vmro-dpmne.org.mk/mk/zapis.asp?id=3076
Background
The party's name derives from the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, a rebel movement formed in 1893. After undergoing various transformations, the original organization was suppressed in the 1930s, at which time the territory of the current Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. The VMRO–DPMNE claims ideological descent from the old VMRO.
Post-Yugoslav revival
Following the death of Josip Broz TitoJosip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
in 1980, SFR Yugoslavia began to disintegrate and democratic politics were revived in Macedonia. Many exiles returned to the newly independent Republic of Macedonia from abroad, and a new generation of young Macedonian intellectuals rediscovered the history of Macedonian nationalism
Macedonian nationalism
Macedonian nationalism is a term referring to the ethnic Macedonian version of nationalism.-Late 19th century beginning:The development of the Macedonian ethnicity can be said to have begun in the late 19th and early 20th century. This is the time of the first expressions of ethnic nationalism by...
. In these circumstances it was not surprising that the name of the famed Macedonian rebels was revived. Under the name VMRO–DPMNE, the party was founded on June 17, 1990 in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
.
Rise to power
After the first multi-party elections in 1990, VMRO–DPMNE became the strongest party in the Parliament. It did not form a government because it did not achieve a majority of seats; this forced it to form a coalition with an ethnic Albanian party, but it refused to do so. The party boycotted the second round of the 1994 elections claiming fraud in the first round. After winning the 1998 election, VMRO–DPMNE surprised many people when finally forming a coalition government with an ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Party of AlbaniansDemocratic Party of Albanians
The Democratic Party of Albanians or DPA is a political party of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. The DPA is a merger of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians and the People's Democratic Party which took place in June 1997...
. After their victory in the elections, they formed a new government with Ljubco Georgievski as Prime Minister. In 1999, VMRO–DPMNE's candidate Boris Trajkovski
Boris Trajkovski
Trajkovski died on 26 February 2004 in a plane crash en route to an economic conference in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aircraft crashed in thick fog and heavy rain on a mountainside in southeastern Herzegovina, near the villages of Huskovici and Rotimlja some eight miles south-south-east...
was elected President, completing VMRO–DPMNE's takeover. Once in office, Trajkovski adopted a more moderate policy than expected.
In 2002 VMRO–DPMNE's government was defeated at the legislative elections. In an alliance with the Liberal Party of Macedonia
Liberal Party of Macedonia
The Liberal Party of Macedonia is a liberal party in the Republic of Macedonia. It was formed in December 1999 after the split of some former members of the old Liberal Party from the Liberal Democratic Party. The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party...
, VMRO–DPMNE won 28 out of 120 seats. In 2004 Trajkovski died in a plane crash and Branko Crvenkovski
Branko Crvenkovski
Branko Crvenkovski leads the Republic of Macedonia's largest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia. He was Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2002 to 2004, then President of the Republic of Macedonia from 2004 to 2009.Crvenkovski was...
was elected President, defeating the VMRO–DPMNE's candidate Saško Kedev.
The first President of the VMRO–DPMNE and its founder was Ljubco Georgievski, and the current president of the party is Nikola Gruevski
Nikola Gruevski
Nikola Gruevski has been Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27 August 2006. He has led VMRO-DPMNE since May 2003. He was Minister of Finance in the VMRO-DPMNE government led by Ljubčo Georgievski until September 2002.- Personal life :...
.
On May 15, 2007, the party became an observer-member of the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP).
On the 1st of June, 2008, following the dismissal of the Macedonian Parliament
Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
The Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, the Assembly , has 123 members, elected for a four year term, by proportional representation from 6 electoral districts, each contributing 20 MPs.- Result :...
on April 12, early parliamentary elections were held.
The elections were followed by series of violent incidents in the north-western parts of Macedonia by the Albanian minority, which has a national majority in those parts of Macedonia, while in the other parts of the country, the elections were followed in peaceful, fair and
democratic atmosphere. The results were victorious for VMRO–DPMNE and for its leader and prime minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski.
In the 120 seats Parliament, VMRO–DPMNE won 63 seats, enough to form its own government, and by that, the party won 4 more years of dominance in
the Macedonian Parliament (mandate period 2008-2012) and government control. The acting President of the Republic of Macedonia
(mandate period 2004-2009), Branko Crvenkovski, acknowledged the victory of VMRO–DPMNE on the 1st of June, 2008 parliamentary elections,
and after the Parliament constituted itself on the 21st of June, 2008, the President Branko Crvenkovski on the 23rd of June, 2008
gave the VMRO–DPMNE's leader and current and future prime minister Nikola Gruevski the mandate to form the new
Government of the Republic of Macedonia (mandate period 2008-2012).
In 2009, the party had another two major successes. While the VMRO–DPMNE-led coalition "For a better Macedonia" won in 56 out of 84 municipalities
Municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia
The Municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia are first-order administrative divisions. In August 2004, the Republic of Macedonia was reorganised into 84 municipalities ; 10 of the municipalities constitute the City of Skopje , a distinct unit of local self-government and the country's...
, the party's proposed presidential candidate Gjorge Ivanov also won the presidential election.