DISSEMBLING AND REDEFINING OF A

STATE AND NATION

(the example of the Republic of Macedonia through the prism of
the political, security, legal and international consequences for the
Macedonian state and nation)

Associate Professor Oliver Andonov, PhD

Military Academy “General Mihailo
Apostolski” - Skopje
Associate Professor Jana Kukeska, PhD
University of Tourism and Management in
Skopje
 INTRODUCTION

• National security vs. International security

• Geopolitical movements and national security are driven by
the national interests of States.
• In international relations, national security is vital
• The conceptual underdevelopment of security in
international relations reinforces the significance of
national security, and denotes the terms "dominance" and
"stability".
• The dominance of the state in international relations and
its stability in terms of internal regulation and the
preservation of national security are the basis for the
definition of weak and strong states
Basic components of a State:
• The idea for the state,
• The physical basis of the state, and
• The institutional setting of the state

The demolition of any of these three pillars can cause the

state system to collapse and create a weak state.

All states are to some extent vulnerable to military,

economic and political threats, which is why the problem of
national security is multidimensional
 THE IDEA OF A STATE

 When the idea of the state and State institutions is weak,

the state is less a state than the one whose idea and
institutions are firm.

 Therefore, the lack of a national idea and its destruction,

the collapse of the state institutions through the destruction of
the security system, the legal system, the fiscal and tax
indiscipline, and the fundamental political instability cause a
very weak state.

 Republic of Macedonia which has been systematically

degraded as a state for almost three decades, undermined on
a security, economic and legal basis, in order to undermine
the idea of statehood among the Macedonian people.
Genesis of the Macedonian political crisis (1)
 In the past 30 years, Macedonia has been continually
brought from crisis to crisis, in order to make a weak
state and prepare it for constitutional redefinition
 September 8, 1991 - Macedonian Referendum of
Independence
 Badinter commission positive report
 1994 the corrupted Government issued 150.000
citizenships to Albanians from Kosovo and South Serbia
to remain in power
 Privatization of the social capital – in a suspicious way
to a narrow circle of politically and financially powerful
individuals who until now have a direct influence on the
political trends in the country
Genesis of the Macedonian political crisis (2)

 Creation of distrust towards the own national state

 2001 armed conflict and Ohrid Framework Agreement:
 Albanian minority was abused and supported by
various criminal structures and intelligence centers from
the international community,
 Macedonians was forced to rename the country from
a national state into a "civil-multiethnic state".
 A complete segregation of the Macedonian society was
made, i.e a situation where the Albanian minority,
according to the principle of connection with Albania and
Kosovo, preserved its national definition, and the
Macedonians from the nation resorted to the "ethnic
community".
Genesis of the Macedonian political crisis (3)

Introduction of final destruction of the Macedonian nation - The

Treaty of Good Neighborly Relations with Bulgaria and the
Prespa Agreement with Greece:

In both agreements, the non-existence of the Macedonian

nation (mentioning citizenship) is exclusively emphasized +
disputing the exact historical collective name + the common
history + the Macedonian language and cultural heritage.

Bilingualism on the entire territory of the Republic of

Macedonia
Introducing the Law on use of forces a contrary to the
domestic and international law
 SUMMARY
 The Macedonian nation, gradually, over a period of 27 years
was brought to a state of apathy and mistrust to the idea of ​
statehood.

 2015 to 2019 developments have brought a puppet

government that would carry out the redefinition of the state.
 In fact, this happened through the disregard of the
referendum will of the citizens and the change of the
Macedonian with blackmail and intimidation of deputies

 The constitutional amendments voted on 11 January 2019

do not refer specifically to the change of the name from the
Republic of Macedonia in the Republic of Northern
Macedonia.

 The essence of these changes is much deeper

 SHORT ANALYSIS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS

 Amendment 33: everywhere the Republic of Macedonia is

replaced with R of Northern Macedonia, which means completely
changing the name of the state
 Arising open questions:
 Have so far existed Macedonians and who were they?
 Who (which entity-ethnic community, with which common history,
culture, language, and tradition) creates this new nation?
 It is not a question of whether, but to what extent will the
neighbors take away part(s) of the Macedonian history?
 What will be the consequences for the survival of the Macedonian
people in future and whether there may not be retrograde processes
related to the dying of a nation?
 What will be the further requirements of the neighbors of the
Republic of Macedonia, especially in the context of the use of the
instruments and mechanisms in the process of negotiations for full
membership of Macedonia in the EU?
 Amendment 34: deleting the decisions of ASNOM is a direct
influence on the erosion of the history and state-legal continuity of
the Macedonian state and the historical proof of the statehood of
the Macedonian people.

 Arising open questions:

 The entry of the Ohrid Agreement into the preamble brings Macedonia in
the direction of undefined statehood and "bi-nationality" as an artificial
pseudo-state creation
 Why are the words "decided to" constitute the Republic of Macedonia
deleted from the Preamble? People do not decide anymore, but someone
else does it on his behalf? This is a lexical, semantic, legal and historical
question thus hereby is asserted that the Macedonian people and all
minorities have not decided to establish the country but that is decided by
someone else.

 This amendment will further affect the re-definition of the

Macedonian nation from a political nation in a new, artificially created
nation without foundation.
 Amendment 36:

“1. The Republic protects, guarantees and nurtures the

historical and cultural heritage of the Macedonian people
CRITICS: 1. Macedonia should guarantee the ethnic, cultural
and linguistic identity of the minorities living in its borders,
and not the Macedonian people in their own national state

2. The Republic protects the rights and interests of its

nationals living or staying abroad and promoting their ties to
the motherland.
CRITICS: Why is the second necessary when, according to
international law, the state is entitled to take care of its
citizens abroad?
 Amendment 36:

3. The Republic takes care of the members of the Macedonian

people living abroad.
CRITICS: What kind of care, for better life, health, for property, ?
Or, the Republic should take care of the rights of Macedonians
who live outside? Which Macedonians? Those living with
generations as citizens of the neighboring countries, having
Macedonian origin? Or for those who want to be called
Macedonians, and their domicile states do not allow it? Or for no
one, because according to the amendments in amendments 33
and 34, there is no Macedonian nation - but a North Macedonian.

4. The Republic will not interfere with the sovereign rights of other
states and in their internal affairs.”
 Legal support of the redefinition (1)
1. Illegitimate election of the President of Parliament:
o illegal constitutional session (no majority, no steno
gram, no obligatory TV broadcast, no clear quorum)
2. Conclusion of Prespa Agreement with Greece
o Asymmetric agreement, Macedonia is NO NAME party
o Violation of the basic principle of self-determination (identity)
o Ultra vires act – Minister is not competent to sign
o Constitution can not be changed by International Treaty!
o Such important constitutional changes cant be brought in short
procedure
o Violation of legal form of ratification
o President’s veto of the Law on ratification
3. Failed referendum
o essential omissions and procedural mistakes when making the
decision to call a referendum
o 36,9 % turnout yet the Government decided to ignore and accept it as
valid
 Legal support of the redefinition (2)

4. Illegal change of the Constitution

o Attacks over opposition and threats and pressures to MPs
o No promulgation (President’s veto)
o Illegal signature by the Parliament’s President

5. Law on use of languages

o Pay-back for the unreserved loyalty of the Albanian minority in
changing the Macedonian name and constitution
o violates the state's unitary character
o lack of formal requirements in passing the Law: minority
o No promulgation (President’s veto)
o Illegal signature by the Parliament’s President
 Conclusion (1)

1. A long-lasting process that has its roots deep in the

historical approach to Macedonia by neighbors.

2. The process has been strongly influenced by the interests

of neighboring states and the regional and global powers

3. The process took place in a specific historical-political

period, both regionally and globally.

4. The entire operation for dismantling and redefining the

Macedonian nation and state was facilitated by the interior
and especially the political elites of Macedonia.
 Conclusion (2)
5. Ethno political conflict process of the Macedonian-Albanian
relationship has a highly destabilizing impact on the country's
internal homogeneity and security risks and threats although
the percentage of Albanian minority's share does not exceed
20%.

6. The interests of the large forces to control the territory of the

Balkans and the routes of energy transport had an impact on
the development of the process.

7. In particular, there was a deprivation of will for the idea of ​

statehood of the Macedonian nation as the main nation in the
national state of the Republic of Macedonia.

8. There are continuous legal precedents by disregarding the

established international law (the Hague Judgment), as well the
Macedonian legal system in actions pertaining to deformation of
the State