North Macedonia continues to be a hotspot of crises, including interethnic, institutional, interstate, economic, cultural, identity, and religious crises, among others. Additionally, many of these crises are exacerbated by political parties vying for power.

It is important to note that the main issue surrounding these crises is the inter-ethnic relations within North Macedonia. Since the establishment of the state, there has been little indication of normal coexistence. The reasons for this are well-known: the Slavic-Albanians aimed to create a state for themselves, treating the Albanians as second-class citizens in their own ethnic lands.

The consequences of this situation are evident and continue to burden a state that is not functional in its multiethnic composition. The culprits are primarily those with a mentality of a North Macedonian supernational state, including politicians from the Belgrade school and elites striving to construct a false identity. These Slavic structures in politics and governance are aligned with Serbian and Russian interests, which hinder the advancement of Albanian issues due to their fear that ethnic Albanians might take control of the state.

Time is of the essence; the interconnectedness of relations hinges on how the situation is managed going forward. The question remains whether Hristijan Mickoski (Prime Minister of North Macedonia) has the will and courage to acknowledge that without constitutional changes and the involvement of Albanians, there can be no genuine interethnic coexistence in North Macedonia.

The country faces an inter-institutional crisis, an institutional crisis, and an interstate crisis, along with economic challenges. The state of interethnic coexistence is currently non-functional, and relations between ethnic groups are at a destabilizing point. Incidents like the burning of flags deepen the interethnic divide, and any actions that conflict with democratic norms and standards are harmful to society. When actions go beyond acceptable limits, they can escalate into much more dire consequences.

The underlying anachronistic Slavic nationalism driving these barbaric acts reflects the madness of the North Macedonian political class, which struggles to accept new historical realities or acknowledge that the future may belong to Albanians. Unfortunately, it is the general populace that suffers the consequences while political parties exploit incidents for their own agendas.

In conclusion, the situation of interethnic relations is complicated, carrying the risk of a repetition of the events of 2001 that could lead to serious problems.

Idriz Sinani
North Macedonian Section