The Macedonian case shows how strong ethno-national identities, ethnic distinction
and division became conflict-generating only with change to a new nation-state
form, and violent only with transnational population movements which threatened
radically to change the internal power balance. Conflict was a product of ethnic
exclusion, but not simply a function of internal nation-state interests in exclusion.
Even more it was a function of the wider regional instabilities, regional economic
problems and regional population movements which incentivise exclusion. It shows
too how settlement may be reached by reliance on international organisations to
oversee and ensure state reform towards greater inclusion, in this case by making it
a condition of EU and NATO membership. Throughout we make clear the radically
conflicting interpretations of events and processes, attempting, through a ―levels of
analysis‖ approach (see Cordell and Wolff, 2009: 6-10) to take account at once of
ethnic Macedonian, ethnic Albanian and international perceptions and
interpretations.