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| Macedonia Government Is Blamed for Wiretapping Scandal | Macedonia Government Is Blamed for Wiretapping Scandal |
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| WARSAW — The national security service, acting on orders from Macedonia’s conservative and increasingly authoritarian government, was behind the wiretapping scandal that has the small nation on the edge of cracking, a new report says. | |
| The release of the document on Friday by the European Commission followed another round of unsuccessful talks in the capital, Skopje, aimed at defusing the crisis, one of the biggest the country of two million has faced since gaining independence in 1991. Four political leaders, along with the ambassadors of the European Union and United States, failed on Friday to reach an agreement on a transitional government that would prepare the country for snap elections in April next year. | The release of the document on Friday by the European Commission followed another round of unsuccessful talks in the capital, Skopje, aimed at defusing the crisis, one of the biggest the country of two million has faced since gaining independence in 1991. Four political leaders, along with the ambassadors of the European Union and United States, failed on Friday to reach an agreement on a transitional government that would prepare the country for snap elections in April next year. |
| “It sounds ridiculous that the political elite of a developed European country lacks the moral integrity so much that it needs an intervention from the E.U. and the U.S. to solve its own problems,” Albert Musliu from the local Helsinki Committee, a human rights group, said in an interview on Sunday. “But unfortunately, it’s true.” | “It sounds ridiculous that the political elite of a developed European country lacks the moral integrity so much that it needs an intervention from the E.U. and the U.S. to solve its own problems,” Albert Musliu from the local Helsinki Committee, a human rights group, said in an interview on Sunday. “But unfortunately, it’s true.” |
| Still, the negotiators — Nikola Gruevski, who has been prime minister since 2006; Zoran Zaev of the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia; and the leaders of two smaller parties representing the country’s Albanian minority — agreed to carry out, without delay, the changes pushed by Johannes Hahn, a European Union commissioner. | Still, the negotiators — Nikola Gruevski, who has been prime minister since 2006; Zoran Zaev of the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia; and the leaders of two smaller parties representing the country’s Albanian minority — agreed to carry out, without delay, the changes pushed by Johannes Hahn, a European Union commissioner. |
| “There is no room for compromise now,” Mr. Musliu said. “All political leaders need to act as swiftly as possible to restore the trust of the society to public institutions that has been reduced to a minimum in recent months.” | “There is no room for compromise now,” Mr. Musliu said. “All political leaders need to act as swiftly as possible to restore the trust of the society to public institutions that has been reduced to a minimum in recent months.” |
| The report, the results of an investigation into 670,000 illegally recorded conversations from more than 20,000 telephone numbers, exposed the creaky democratic structure in Macedonia, which is closely watched by Western governments because it is at the crossroads of the Balkans. | The report, the results of an investigation into 670,000 illegally recorded conversations from more than 20,000 telephone numbers, exposed the creaky democratic structure in Macedonia, which is closely watched by Western governments because it is at the crossroads of the Balkans. |
| According to the document, prepared by independent experts, the government under Mr. Gruevski misused national security services “to control top officials in the public administration, prosecutors, judges and political opponents.” | According to the document, prepared by independent experts, the government under Mr. Gruevski misused national security services “to control top officials in the public administration, prosecutors, judges and political opponents.” |
| The report also points to the “apparent direct involvement of senior government and party officials in electoral fraud, corruption, abuse of power and authority, conflict of interest, blackmail, extortion, criminal damage,” as well as “unacceptable political interference in the nomination/appointment of judges.” | The report also points to the “apparent direct involvement of senior government and party officials in electoral fraud, corruption, abuse of power and authority, conflict of interest, blackmail, extortion, criminal damage,” as well as “unacceptable political interference in the nomination/appointment of judges.” |
| Mr. Gruevski, who remained silent for 24 hours after the revelations, was far from apologetic when he spoke at an anniversary celebration for his party on Saturday evening. He accused an unnamed organization, probably a foreign intelligence service, of having paid “a lot of money to some people who can make numerous wiretapped recordings” with the aim of “brutally destroying” his party and “introducing fear among the people.” | Mr. Gruevski, who remained silent for 24 hours after the revelations, was far from apologetic when he spoke at an anniversary celebration for his party on Saturday evening. He accused an unnamed organization, probably a foreign intelligence service, of having paid “a lot of money to some people who can make numerous wiretapped recordings” with the aim of “brutally destroying” his party and “introducing fear among the people.” |
| “But instead of succeeding in that, they will destroy themselves, entering into the trap of early elections in which we will win,” Mr. Gruevski said. | “But instead of succeeding in that, they will destroy themselves, entering into the trap of early elections in which we will win,” Mr. Gruevski said. |
| Jabir Deralla, the founder and president of Civil, a human rights organization in Macedonia, described the speech as “explosive, threatening and populist.” | Jabir Deralla, the founder and president of Civil, a human rights organization in Macedonia, described the speech as “explosive, threatening and populist.” |
| “Gruevski has led a government in an extremely criminal manner,” Mr. Deralla said in an interview on Sunday. “The wiretapped conversations reveal crimes for which, in a normal country, he and many members of his government would have been sent to prison for quite many years.” | “Gruevski has led a government in an extremely criminal manner,” Mr. Deralla said in an interview on Sunday. “The wiretapped conversations reveal crimes for which, in a normal country, he and many members of his government would have been sent to prison for quite many years.” |
| The deepening crisis has caused not only broad frustration, with tens of thousands of protesters becoming increasingly impatient for a solution, but is also damaging Macedonia’s aspirations to join the European Union and NATO. | |
| According to news reports, Mr. Gruevski is ready to accept any solution, including the creation of a transitional government, as long as he remains in power. “Every day is critical,” Mr. Deralla said. “And Gruevski’s machinery knows that and works quite diligently to remain in power.” | According to news reports, Mr. Gruevski is ready to accept any solution, including the creation of a transitional government, as long as he remains in power. “Every day is critical,” Mr. Deralla said. “And Gruevski’s machinery knows that and works quite diligently to remain in power.” |
| But Mr. Zaev said in an interview with a television station on Thursday that the opposition was determined to see a transitional government without Mr. Gruevski’s influence. If the prime minister does not announce his resignation by the end of this month, the opposition, Mr. Zaev said, would consider the “radicalization” of protest actions. | But Mr. Zaev said in an interview with a television station on Thursday that the opposition was determined to see a transitional government without Mr. Gruevski’s influence. If the prime minister does not announce his resignation by the end of this month, the opposition, Mr. Zaev said, would consider the “radicalization” of protest actions. |