Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket. This observation by philosopher Eric Hoffer applies to the Colored Revolution in Macedonia both figuratively and literally. What was started ostensibly as a movement for justice and the rule of law is now turned into a criminal regime that abuses the judiciary to go after its political opponents and stay in power, with some of the former protesters working as its PR people and others marginalized.

Zoran Zaev grabbed power four years ago, two and a half years after he initiated the Colored Revolution using wiretaps given to him by rogue domestic intelligence officers and, likely, foreign intelligence services. He is now a marijuana baron and not a week goes by without a novel type of criminal activity being reported about him. Predictably, Macedonia dropped like a stone in the corruption rankings, and is now 111th in the world in fighting corruption – its worst result ever. In the place of criminals, dozens of opposition officials are imprisoned, in a systemic campaign of intimidating all who criticize the regime.

The only deliverable promised by Zaev that came true is Macedonia’s NATO membership – paid costly, with the changing of the name of the country and the initiation of a process to redefine the Macedonian history and national identity. Other promises are derailed – Macedonia has slim prospects of opening EU accession talks soon, let alone joining the Union in a foreseeable future. Additional humiliating concessions with the national identity and history are required even to make the first step on this path.

The Zaev family is focused on personal enrichment, as evidenced in the Racket and a dozen other major corruption scandals, which remain uninvestigated by the police or end with charges being filed against the lowest level foot-soldiers. The economy of the country, on the other hand, is moribund, with one of the worst performances in the region even before the pandemic, and certainly during its course when over 50,000 people lost their jobs. The handling of the pandemic itself was equally bad and corrupt, with the now trademark levels of graft being projected even on vaccine procurement.

Promises that ingratiating itself with the Western countries will deliver funds for infrastructure and other benefits also did not materialize. Some of the major works initiated before Zaev were completed only after protest from impatient citizens who demanded that two nearly finished highways are put to use. Other, like the Chinese funded Kicevo – Ohrid highway, are completely stalled, and no new projects are being initiated, with EU funding or otherwise.

And the objective failures of the Government are being papered over by well paid former Colored Revolution activists, who became Government spokespersons as soon as Zaev was in office. Media outlets were threatened with criminal charges into toeing the party line and often do their best to ignore clear evidence of corruption on the part of the regime or its foreign policy humiliations. And as the Racket and a number of other scandals proved, the regime is well past the stage of turning the cause into a business and is now an outright racketeering scheme – all in just four short years.