Publication

This article examines the anti-government protests in Macedonia that started in May 2015 as well as the political situation in the country. The author contends that the protests, which aim to bring an end to the reign of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, are a response to a deeper political crisis in the country related to allegations of corruption and other illegal activities by the government. He then argues that factors impeding an end to the crisis not only involve the point that the government is not interested in calming the situation, but also Russian interference. Finally, he suggests that tensions with Greece have stalled Macedonia’s accession to NATO and the EU, something which has obstructed democratic reform in the country.