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Small States and European Integration

Small States and European Integration. The Case of Macedonia. Background. Macedonia – basic facts Area 26,000 sq kms Located (landlocked) between Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria Greece and Albania Capital: Skopje Population 2.0 million GDP per cap $4,000 Corruption 84 th /179.

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Small States and European Integration

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  1. Small States and European Integration The Case of Macedonia

  2. Background • Macedonia – basic facts • Area 26,000 sq kms • Located (landlocked) between Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria Greece and Albania • Capital: Skopje • Population 2.0 million • GDP per cap $4,000 Corruption 84th/179

  3. Background • Ethnic composition: 64% Macedonian, 25% Albanian, 4% Turkish, Roma 2.6% Others 4% • Language: Macedonian but anywhere where an ethnic group exceeds 20%, that language is also official.

  4. Political stucture • 1991 Referendum and new Constitution • Assembly 120 seats • Elections every 5 years • Multi-party system • Parties are tied to ethnicity • Ohrid Agreements revise political system in 2001

  5. Economy • Major exports: iron and steel products;textiles; wine, fruit, vegetables • Export markets: Germany, Serbia, Greece, Italy • Major imports: oil, vehicles, machinery • Import origins: Germany, Serbia, Ukraine, Greece • Industries: electricity; oil refining; buses, cigarettes, textiles, shoes, furniture • Agriculture: wheat, corn, sugar beet;grapes, vegetables, fruit (nearly self-sufficient in food)

  6. Ohrid Agreement • Signed (2001) between ethnic factions at end of violence • Also by USA and EU • What did Ohrid do? Why was it needed ? • State was now for ‘all citizens of Macedonia’ instead of ‘national state of te Macedonian people’ in ‘co-existence with Albanians…’ etc

  7. Ohrid Agreement • Language: Any communiutyy of mor tha 20% to have its langiuage recognised as official. University education to be provided in language of minorities (with more thsn 20%) • Vooting in parliament: majority of the minority required fgoir laws affecting language, education, culture, symbols, personal documents etc • A third of the judges on the Const Ct also to be supported by the minority

  8. Ohrid • “equitable representation” in public bodies • Positive recruiitment to universities for minorities • Police recruitment and deployment to reflect ethnicity: training funded by EU, USA, OSCE • Decentralisation within a small state to promote local/ethnic participation • Arms to be handed in (to NATO) as Ohrid proposals were implemented pari passu

  9. Macedonia and the EU • Candidate status in 2005 • Annual progress reports from EU Commission • Visa restrictions • Participation in exchange programmes

  10. Macedonia and NATO • Accession a key objective • Bucharest NATO Summit 2008 Macedonian application not submitted • Greek objections: the name dispute • 2008 poll shows 85% in favour of membership • US supports name “Macedonia”

  11. Reflections • European integration and a small/weak state: • Economic security : trade, FDI, Euro • Political stability: democracy;local government; policing, anti-corruption • Inter-ethnic harmony supported • “Political conditionality” linked to EU membership as the only future scenario

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