POLITICAL PARTIES – AN INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM FOR AGGREGATING AND ARTICULATING THE INTERESTS OF CITIZENSIN 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.