Abstract
When the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (henceforth Macedonia) submitted its application to join the European Union in March 2004, it was seen as a courageous move for a country that had experienced an armed (and bloody) inter-ethnic conflict only a few years before. It also showed the determination of Macedonian political elite—at that time, a government coalition led by the SDSM, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia—to move forward towards the objective of European Union (EU) accession without delay. For them, EU membership would guarantee political stability and security, as well as the best prospects for economic and social development for Macedonia and its citizens.
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- 1.
The Ohrid Framework Agreement is the peace agreement signed 13 August 2001; it brought an end to the armed conflict between the (Albanian) National Liberation Army and the Macedonian Security Forces.
- 2.
The European Commission has been recommending the European Council to open accession negotiations with Macedonia since 2009.
- 3.
Gruevski was re-elected in 2008, 2011 and 2014, each time in a snap election.
- 4.
Index available from: https://index.rsf.org/#!/
- 5.
Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, number 50/2010.
- 6.
It happened to be the Orthodox and Catholic Easters, a rare occasion when they coincide.
- 7.
Call was published in the Official Gazette no.143 of 29 October 2010.
- 8.
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Fouéré, E. (2016). The Curious Case of Macedonia: A Personal Insight of a Former Head of the EU Delegation in Macedonia. In: Slootmaeckers, K., Touquet, H., Vermeersch, P. (eds) The EU Enlargement and Gay Politics. Gender and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48093-4_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48093-4_10
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