Macedonia: Silly Songs Do Politics · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

After GVO covered the topic of ridiculous advertising songs in Macedonia, a few more examples surfaced on the Macedonian web. The most talked about was the anthem of the Young Socialists [MKD], the youth branch of the Socialist Party of Macedonia.
While online portal Kirilica praised [MKD] the anthem as part of the trend of “growing creativity of the Macedonian political parties” and for the use of the new media as standard means for communication with the citizens, some more independent sources were less forgiving. 365 compared [MKD] it to a faux gospel choir, while On.net posted a copy of the video and the intro [MKD]:
Wow, what a musical political candy! The clip for the anthem of the young socialists of Macedonia, yummy, yummy! Musically it smacks of Band Aid (SPM for Africa: Did they know it's lunch break time?), and lyrically it takes a bit of Mira Marković (“the heart, too, is on the left”) and a lot of rhyming: globalist, humanist, socialist, nudist… And the montage: as soon as the term “visionary” is mentioned, Ljubisav Ivanov pops into view, with cameos of Goce Delchev. Like, like!
Come on, become a socialist
You can do what nobody else can
beyond all rules and laws,
if you are an anti-globalist,
come on, be a socialist.
If you are a [friend/comrade] without a blemish
and your heart beats on the left side,
you are the same as every other person,
come on, be a socialist.
Visionary, cosmopolitan,
missionary and a humanist
come on, it's your turn,
come on, be a socialist
If in your heart you feel grief
for those in misery, pain and hunger,
you are an eternal pacifist
come on, be a socialist
[spoken word/speech]
We live in an unequal world, a world in which 50 biggest companies own more property than 50 poorest countries. We live in a world in which over 100 million people get by with less than a dollar per day. We socialists must fight against such a world. Until we build a world of different people with equal opportunities.
One of the main motivators for numerous Facebook users who shared this video was the total disconnect of the lyrics with reality, and the complete oblivion to irony. SPM leader Ljubisav Ivanov AKA Dzingo is an MP and almost a permanent member of government coalitions over the last two decades, including those run by neo-liberal right-wingers.
Ivanov heads one of the richest families in the country, and used his high political positions before and after the independence of Macedonia to privatize the companies related to the Sileks concern, including mines, banks and factories, tied to numerous scandals related to abuse of workers’ rights. This family also owns Sitel TV, Sileks Football Club, and practically rules the town of Kratovo as a fiefdom.
An article [MKD] in Macedonian Globus Magazine referred to the GVO article, and elaborated in detail on the young socialists’ song. The article's author, Dzvezdan Georgievski, expounded on the use of the slogan by Mira Marković, widow of the late Serbian president Slobodan Milošević, hinting at various kinds of influences on the SPM and the regimes it is a part of.