Abstract
This chapter intends to outline the place of Macedonia in the nation-building process that took place in South-East Europe with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. Macedonia became the place where national aspirations converged and came into conflict with each other. This gave it a special role in the national narratives of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece both internally and in foreign politics. The (federal) Macedonian state that emerged after WWII sought to carve out its own trajectory in a space that was already occupied physically and ideologically by its neighbours. This led to a conflict that lurked under the surface for most of the Cold War but came out in the open with the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The chapter seeks to clarify some of the central issues related to Macedonian nationality and minorities in the Balkan and European context.
TopHistory And Identity
The subject of history has appeared repeatedly in North-Macedonia’s relations to its neighbours. Joint commissions with Bulgaria and Greece try to sort out some of these differences. This endeavour has proved much more difficult than anticipated and may not provide the desired results. Each party’s perception of history has been carefully constructed over the course of several generations and elevated to accepted truths that can only be challenged with great difficulty because of the deep existential implications. One of the important outcomes of the Prespa agreement was the clarification of the different concepts of Macedonia by each side. It could be added this should also be highlighted in the case of Bulgaria. The question of history has held a very prominent place in Greece where the instrumental use of antiquity is supposed to verify the Greekness of the area. Book titles such as: “Macedonia: 4000 Years of Greek History and Civilization” are indicative of this approach (Sakellariou, 1991). It is implied that Macedonia has been Greek from time immemorial and remained Greek throughout history. This is of course a gross simplification.
The present paper will take the 19th century as its point of departure, since this is the time when the break-up of the Ottoman Empire ushered in the modern principle of nationalism. By the mid-19th century, what we today know as Macedonia was the central remaining area of “Turkey in Europe”. It became the area where the new and emerging Balkan states came into conflict with each other. Their overlapping claims resulted in a bitter rivalry that have left traces up until the present. The following will focus on three aspects that have featured prominently in the conflict: 1. The geographic extent of Macedonia, 2. The identity of the population, and 3. The modification of terms and concepts over time.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Name Issue: The so-called name issue refers to Greece’s reluctance to recognize the constitutional name “Republic of Macedonia” in 1991 and it lingered on until the signing of the Prespa Agreement.
Macedonia: The central geographic area of “Turkey in Europe” that was disputed by the national movements of all adjacent states from the late 19 th century onwards. There are various definitions of its extent but is today generally considered to be divided between Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia.
Prespa Agreement: Agreement to resolve outstanding issues between Greece and North-Macedonia signed in June 2018 and ratified by both countries 12 February 2019.
Western Balkans: A neologism with purely administrative meaning designating the EU candidates from former Yugoslavia and Albania.
Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighbourliness, and Cooperation: Signed between Bulgaria and North-Macedonia in August 2017, and has so far proved unworkable.
Joint Commission on Historical and Educational Issues: Formed between Bulgaria and North-Macedonia in 2018 to iron out the differences in national ideology.
Minorities: A fundamental sticking point between all the parties in the Macedonia dispute, partly due to that they all have different national paradigms.
Vilayet: The largest administrative units in the Ottoman Empire after the reform in 1864.