Macedonia’s opposition urged to adopt “augmented politics” strategy

Two opinion pieces argue that the political battle in Macedonia against the ruling VMRO‑DPMNE has moved beyond ordinary partisan rivalry. The authors claim the prevailing apathy among citizens is the result of state‑led psychological operations (psy‑ops) and suggest that a new “augmented politics of resistance” is needed to revive democratic engagement.

The proposed approach emphasizes a “transformative repolarisation” that reshapes the traditional left‑versus‑right divide into a struggle between corruption and renewal, fear and hope, and a captive state versus sovereign citizens. The authors cite the tactics used by Peter Magyar and Hungary’s TISA party as a successful example of this model.

By redefining the core political conflict and rejecting attempts to polarise the populace, the pieces call for a structural expansion of democratic capacity through innovative communication and organisational methods.