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North Macedonia

North Macedonia was an early concern of the Helsinki Commission during the course of Yugoslavia’s decade of violent disintegration in the 1990s. With little preparation for independent statehood, the country had to adjust to economic separation from the other Yugoslav republics, enforce sanctions imposed on the remaining Yugoslav federation and contend with an influx of refugees, all while contending with numerous domestic developments and at times facing sanctions and isolation due to its name dispute with Greece. Helsinki-organized congressional delegations concerned with these issues visited North Macedonia in 1992 and 1993, during the course of the Bosnian conflict, and the country received additional attention during the course of the 1998-99 Kosovo conflicts.  

Commission staff first observed elections in North Macedonia in November 1990 and, reflecting ongoing concern about meeting OSCE standards defining free and fair elections, observed subsequent parliamentary and/or presidential elections, most recently in 2019. North Macedonia was also a country of major concern regarding human trafficking, although over time the efforts by the authorities to combat trafficking have been among the best in the region. 

Ethnic tensions between the Macedonian majority and a sizable Albanian minority have been an ongoing concern regarding both human rights and democratic development. The country’s large and relatively active Romani community has also be the subject of Commission interest.  Dramatic political changes in recent years led to agreement with Greece on the country’s name as North Macedonia, leading to NATO membership.  More recently, neighboring Bulgaria has been seeking to condition forward movement on North Macedonia’s EU integration on further concessions relating to national identity.  

Staff Contact: Everett Price, senior policy advisor

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