In 2001, Macedonia adjusted its structure of government and modes of governance
in order to allow for participation of minority groups in policy making, but also to
strengthen their representation in politics and public administration. Most of these
policy solutions were envisaged within the Ohrid Framework Agreement. The aim
of the government was to respond adequately to the power sharing claims from the
ethnic Albanians, and it applied the principle of ethnic neutrality into the constitution.1
The implementation of the OFA is currently running the risk of being perceived
as ensuring minority rights of only one community – the ethnic Albanians
– rather than as building a multicultural country, where all ethnic communities are
equally represented. This might create further inter-ethnic tensions in Macedonia.
Macedonia is a country with a diverse population, differences in ethnicity2
,
religion3
, and culture. This diversity has proved that it can create tensions, and even
conflict. Political theory has distilled the reasons why inter-ethnic tensions occur
and sums them up in several causes: (i) if groups feel socially excluded and aggrieved
by a perceived lack of respect for their cultural identity and heritage; (ii)
if there is growing mistrust between communities as they become more ethnically
or religiously homogenous and (iii) if there are few channels for communication
between different groups.