Macedonia’s election has opened the door to finally tackling the country’s corruption problem

Macedonia held elections on 11 December which took place against the backdrop of a major political crisis. Misha Popovikj assesses the results of the election, writing that although it remains unclear which parties will be able to form the next government, there has been a clear shift in the balance of power which opens the door to tackling corruption among elected officials

Violence in the Macedonian parliament: what happened and how should the EU respond?

Macedonia’s opposition leader, Zoran Zaev, was among a number of people injured after protesters stormed the country’s parliament building on 27 April and attacked MPs. Misha Popovikj argues that the violence, which emerged after Zaev attempted to form a new coalition that would have excluded the incumbent VMRO-DPMNE party, should be the final straw for the international community and must lead to firmer action from the EU in ensuring a legitimate democratic transition of power

Macedonia’s political crisis: make or break for civil society

Macedonia has experienced a period of civic unrest following a pardon issued by president Gjorge Ivanov to all the political figures incriminated in a wiretapping scandal that emerged in 2015. Misha Popovikj states that while the immediate cause of the unrest is relatively straightforward, the roots of the discontent are far more complex. He argues that it is not yet time to resume EU-brokered negotiations, and that international actors should take advantage of a golden moment to empower the country’s civil society actors