IMPLICATIONS OF EMERGING BALKAN LEFT FORCES FOR THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD SOCIALIST MOVEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF NORTH MACEDONIA’S LEVICA PARTY

Abstract

Over thirty years after the end of the Cold War, the world socialist movement in Europe has experienced a pronounced low ebb, with leftist forces in post-socialist transition countries—especially in the Balkans—languishing in persistent difficulties. In recent years, however, the rise of a new left-wing political party in North Macedonia, the Levica (“Left”) party, has attracted attention. Using Levica as a case study, this article examines what insights the emergence of new left forces in the Balkans can offer to the contemporary world socialist movement. It reviews the historical background and current challenges of the left in North Macedonia and the Balkans, analyzes Levica’s origins, ideological characteristics, and political trajectory, and summarizes the party’s theoretical and practical innovations in its organizational model, mass mobilization methods, and national positioning. The study finds that Levica grew out of grassroots social movements into a parliamentary party, successfully uniting disaffected youth and workers. By steadfastly emphasizing social justice and anti-capitalism while also embracing patriotism, Levica has mounted a dual challenge to the neoliberal and nationalist order. This experience provides valuable lessons for reviving leftist forces in post-socialist states: by upholding socialist ideals tailored to national realities and deploying mass-line and populist mobilization strategies, leftist movements can still break through even in adverse conditions. This paper aims to enrich understanding of new dynamics in the contemporary world socialist movement and to offer theoretical reflection and practical reference for the global revival of the left.