Abstract
Throughout the centuries, the South-eastern corner of Europe has been the scene of many invasions and transcending civilizations. This left the trace of different cultures, religions and empires. One of the most evident cleavages in the region is religious cleavage between the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and Islam. This mix is mainly concentrated in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where we have seen massive conflicts recently, but there are also other parts of former Yugoslavia where there are clear cultural differences. Macedonia is a good example. There the majority of the population is orthodox, with minority of Muslims. But there are also differences within the Orthodox Church and among the Muslims. Apart from this, the claims to Macedonia from surrounding nations have caused war and internal turmoil. Up until the break-down of Yugoslavia, this situation did not escalate because of the pressure from Bel-grade, but since Macedonia gained independence, this heterogenic country has witnessed massive problems, partly thanks to the multiethnic situation, as Albanians make up 25% of the population.Nevertheless, Macedonia is on the path towards becoming a functional democracy. There have been many problems along the way, and it is a highly heterogenic country without a single national identity. This paper will examine the democratic transition in Macedonia. We will try to explain if the transition towards democracy is finalised, and if not, we will attempt to explain why. The democratic transition theory of Linz and Stephan will be used as a tool in describing the situation.
In order to perform this task, the paper is divided into four distinctive parts. First we explain the theory of Linz and Stephan, and make a short evaluation of the situation in Macedonia compared with the theory. Secondly, we analyse Macedonia's historical relations with its neighbours, in an attempt to explain the complexity of the nation. Thirdly, we briefly summarize the nationalism in Macedonia and describe the state formation in the first Yugoslavia. The fourth part describes the reign of Tito, and Macedonia's position towards the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The fifth chapter deals with Macedonia's international position and developments from the independence up until the 2001 conflict. The sixth part explains Macedonia's second transition, and deals with its present problems. The paper is then summarized and analyzed in a conclusion.
