The Ohrid Agreement, the document that ended the armed conflict of 2001, is not just a historical chapter, but a guarantee of peace and coexistence. To ignore it is to play with the fire of division and to endanger the stability of the region.
By Marjana DODA
A year after elections that changed the political balance in North Macedonia, the country seems to be walking a thin bridge over troubled waters. Can North Macedonia remain a country for all citizens, or will ethnic divisions determine its fate?
The first year of Hristijan Mickoski’s rule as Prime Minister of North Macedonia has brought considerable discontent among the Albanian citizens, who constitute an essential part of this country. Personally, I have always condemned the nationalist rhetoric that has been frequently used over the past three decades, the one defined by the slogan “Albanians for Albanians and Macedonians for Macedonians”, because such an approach only fuels ethnic divisions and tensions. In my writings on political developments in North Macedonia, I have emphasized and continue to emphasize the need for a leadership that represents all citizens of this country, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, color or religion. Unfortunately, neither the Macedonian nor the Albanian political forces have managed to overcome these deep divisions.
For me, a true achievement for this country and for every one of its citizens will only be possible when the elected leadership equally represents Albanians and Macedonians, without any ethnic priority.
The return to power of a party with nationalist leanings like VMRO-DPMNE was greeted with skepticism and fear of a return to reminiscences of its political past. However, from my perspective, the victory of this force with a new leadership, like Mickoski’s, was also an opportunity for this political force to correct itself and that the new Prime Minister would prove that he was at the right height to lead North Macedonia towards an inclusive future. One year of government is a short period for a full analysis, but sufficient to see the direction in which the country is heading. I regret to note that Prime Minister Mickoski is gradually losing his political momentum to bring about the long-awaited change, both in relation to the old Macedonian and Albanian leadership.
To achieve this, the Prime Minister must distance himself once and for all from any nationalist rhetoric that undermines interethnic coexistence. Unfortunately, anti-Albanian nationalist calls and tones have been publicly expressed this year, a development that does not serve either political stability or the process of North Macedonia’s integration into European structures.
This situation, which at first glance seems under control, needs to be urgently stabilized, especially now that the local elections held on October 19 and November 2 in North Macedonia confirmed the political dominance of VMRO-DPMNE also at the local level. This further consolidation of the new power poses the risk of political hubris and blindness, as well as the opportunity to show great responsibility in governance.
But, as the country is in its first year of government under this political force and seems to be sliding into the abyss of nationalism, it is time to make clear calls to this leadership for restraint and caution, now that it has central and local power in its hands. Therefore, in this article I address Prime Minister Mickoski directly, to protect the stability and ethnic coexistence that all citizens of North Macedonia deserve.
Prime Minister, I have been closely following political and social developments in North Macedonia for more than a decade. As an Albanian journalist who believes in good neighborliness, coexistence and the European future of the region, I feel today the moral and professional obligation to raise my voice in the face of a reality that is becoming more dangerous every day: the return of hate speech and nationalism against Albanians.
North Macedonia has gone through difficult and challenging times. The years 2015 and 2017 remain etched in the memory of the region as two of the darkest moments in the recent history of this country, years of interethnic tensions and political crises that arose from the nationalist spirit. At that time, all the forces that sacrificed civic equality for narrow political interests were condemned. We believed that those times would never be repeated. But today, unfortunately, that spirit is returning.
In just two months, North Macedonia has witnessed disturbing episodes that have exposed a deep-seated problem that we can no longer ignore. This situation, repeated so openly and publicly, clearly shows that a very dangerous precedent is being set for the future of your citizens. In public spaces, cries such as “gas chamber, unacceptable words with genocidal connotations” have once again been heard. The fact that these acts have been repeated this year shows that these are not sporadic cases, but well-organized actions, tolerated in silence, aimed at dividing the citizens of North Macedonia. I remind you of the event of August 2, when racist and dehumanizing cries such as “A good Albanian is a dead Albanian”, “Gas chamber for Albanians” and “Cleanse Macedonia” were heard at a basketball match between Macedonia and Romania, in your presence, Mr. Prime Minister. At that time, you condemned that hate speech and excused yourself for not having heard it. But now, when these cries are being repeated openly, (as they were again a few days ago in a football game) you, as the Prime Minister of every citizen of North Macedonia, have the responsibility to take a clear position and take concrete measures to stop this phenomenon.
If these calls are not stopped, they risk spreading widely and creating a climate of division, deepening inter-ethnic tensions in the country, and damaging the future of all of Macedonia, not just Albanians.
Prime Minister Mickoski, You are today at the head of a government that claims to lead North Macedonia towards a European future. But Europe is not just a geographical direction, it is a political and moral standard. There can be no path to Brussels with hate speech from the stands. There can be no functional democracy without civic equality. And there can be no stability without justice and without punishment for those who incite ethnic violence.
Prime Minister, you hold in your hands the fate of coexistence in North Macedonia. As a leader of all citizens, regardless of ethnicity or belief. It is time to act decisively by demanding criminal punishment for those who incite hatred, by rigorously implementing anti-discrimination laws, by conducting public awareness campaigns in schools, media and sports institutions, and by strengthening policies of civic equality and respect between communities.
If these events go unpunished, a dangerous precedent will be set that undermines the very foundations of the state. The Ohrid Agreement, the document that ended the armed conflict of 2001, is not just a historical chapter, but a guarantee of peace and coexistence. Ignoring it means playing with the fire of division and endangering the stability of the region. And in the current geopolitical context, where tensions and external interventions in the Balkans are present, any act of hatred and ethnic division is a threat to the common future of all citizens of North Macedonia.
This is the moment to ensure that all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, feel safe and are treated equally. Otherwise, a deep ethnic division would mark the end of the common project of North Macedonia and a historic loss for all of you.
Prime Minister, North Macedonia needs a leadership that sees the country beyond ethnic and political borders, as a common home for all. This country can become an example of coexistence and Europeanism in the Balkans, a society that is not afraid of diversity, but sees it as an irreplaceable asset. You have the opportunity to prove this through concrete actions. Do not miss this opportunity.
(The author is a journalist and analyst on regional issues, founder of the geopolitical media Argumentum.al)
