25 Years After Ohrid Agreement, North Macedonia Grapples with Lasting Peace

North Macedonia is commemorating a quarter-century since the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, the accord that brought an end to the nation's six-month ethnic conflict in 2001. While the guns have fallen silent and ethnic Macedonians and Albanians coexist peacefully, experts suggest that genuine reconciliation remains an elusive goal.

The 2001 conflict, often seen as the final act of the former Yugoslavia's violent dissolution, was contained before escalating into a wider tragedy, largely due to international mediation by NATO, the United States, and European Union countries. The agreement ushered in a new political order aimed at balancing ethnic diversity with political stability in a country with a significant ethnic Albanian minority, which constitutes over a quarter of the population.

However, the political dynamics have evolved. The return of the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party to power two years ago led to the main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), moving into opposition. This shift ended two decades of significant political influence for Ali Ahmeti, who transitioned from a guerrilla leader to a key political figure.

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Attacks on the official use of the Albanian language, the abolition of equitable and adequate representation, the weakening of mechanisms designed to prevent majoritarian rule and the promotion of a monoethnic concept of the state are serious signals about the direction in which the country is moving.

Ahmeti has voiced concerns that ethnic relations have deteriorated recently. He pointed to "attacks on the official use of the Albanian language, the abolition of equitable and adequate representation, the weakening of mechanisms designed to prevent majoritarian rule and the promotion of a monoethnic concept of the state" as serious indicators of the country's direction.

Senior DUI official Bujar Osmani emphasized that the focus has shifted from merely implementing the Ohrid Agreement to preserving its achievements. He questioned whether the stability North Macedonia has enjoyed for two and a half decades could be dismantled in the coming years, highlighting the ongoing challenges in maintaining interethnic harmony and political balance.

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On the 25th anniversary of the Ohrid Agreement, the question is no longer only what we have implemented since 2001. The question is whether we will allow, within a few years, the dismantling of what has kept North Macedonia stable for two and a half decades.