Macedonian Question Reframed: Politics, Identity and Culture in Republic of Macedonia

Abstract

Macedonian question has opened twentieth century Balkan political scene. Historical framework offered broad definitions including political, cultural and identity aspects. The population mix in Macedonia in the late Ottoman Empire created preconditions of a variety in political affiliations in which regional confronted great power interests. In this context, an autochthonous independent Macedonian revolutionary movement was created in the face of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (MRO), which later crystalize its goals into the idea of a unified independent Macedonian state. Although in the turmoil of the Balkan Wars and First World War Macedonia was divided by its neighbors, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece, after World War Two Macedonian statehood was created in part of the original ethno- geographic territory.
After the dissolution of Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), in 1991, the Republic of Macedonia gained full independence. But during the period of international recognition, generated by the original cultural, political and identity aspects a “New Macedonian question” arise. The complexity of this reframed Macedonian question can be summarized in few salient points: The name issue problem with Greece, Unwillingness of Bulgaria to recognize independent Macedonian language and national identity, the Serbian pretensions towards the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Complex inner multiethnic context and Macedonian-Albanian relations, and finally, the geostrategic position influenced by the blockade for integration into the EU and NATO and new positioning of regional and world powers related with the latest Syrian and Ukrainian crisis.  
Keywords: Macedonia, Balkan, Macedonian question, identity, Name issue