Thursday, September 8, 2011
THEN
On Sept. 8, 1991, the Republic of Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in a peaceful referendum. However, it takes several more years for the small Balkan state situated north of Greece, to obtain recognition in the eyes of the world. Greece objects to the new state’s name, which it said is “historically Greek” and could incite territorial expansion claims into Greece’s Macedonian region that borders the new nation. In 1993, Macedonia is accepted into the United Nations under the name “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.” The United States recognizes the country in 1994 and in 1995 Greece lifts a trade embargo after Macedonia agrees to remove Greek symbols from its national flag. Tensions around the name remain to this day.
NOW
Today, Macedonia is currently one of five candidate countries seeking to join the European Union. Macedonia launched its bid to join the EU 2005, but the name dispute and concerns over interethnic tension, corruption, and the curbing of media freedoms, have prevented Macedonia thus far from becoming an EU member. In 2001, large-scale ethnic fighting broke out between the country’s Albanian minority and Macedonian majority over perceived political and economic inequalities marginalizing the Albanians. The conflict eased after the installment of new minority rights laws. In a report earlier this year, the International Crisis Group said interparty and interethnic tensions in Macedonia have begun to grow again over the past five years.
