POLITICAL PARTIES AN INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM FOR AGGREGATING AND ARTICULATING THE INTERESTS OF CITIZENS IN MACEDONIA

Abstract

Political parties, from their establishment to the present day, represent an inexhaustible source for analysis, especially of social relations within society. Their place and role in overall social processes are determined by contemporary developments, shaping them in accordance with the latest needs and challenges. They continue to maintain a monopoly in the sphere of political mobilization of citizens, with the aim of aggregating and articulating their interests. The changes within them relate to the ways, forms, and mechanisms of mobilization, aggregation, and articulation of citizens’ beliefs, attitudes, and actions. The theoretical framework for defining political parties encompasses the phenomena of political ideology, political orientation, political participation, and identification. The profile of political parties in Macedonia is of particular interest to sociological and political science. In academia, opinions are divided as to which period is most appropriate to be defined as the end of the transition from the previous totalitarian system to the present democratic one. Previous analyses of political parties in the country lead to the conclusion that, during this period, they have developed certain specific features, while at the same time sharing characteristics similar or identical to established parties in Europe and beyond. If generalized, the specificities of Macedonian political parties are correlated with the specificities of Macedonian society. A scientific challenge is to determine the relationship between political parties and society, whether they merely represent an indicator of social processes or simultaneously act as their catalyst.