Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Between a bad peace and a good war: insights and lessons from the almost-war in Macedonia

2003; Routledge; Volume: 26; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01419870022000025306

1466-4356

Robert Hislope,

Balkans: History, Politics, Society

I argue that Macedonia's internal conditions set the stage for interethnic tension but did not preordain war. Ethnic inequality, cultural differences, economic troubles and political underdevelopment are examined and ruled insufficient to produce war conditions. The spark that set Macedonia alight was the proliferation of Albanian paramilitaries from Kosovo. NATO's failure to disarm and disband the Kosovo Liberation Army allowed a major security threat to develop at MacedoniaÕs doorstep. Hence, this case teaches us that porous borders, diasporic networks, and the availability of young men and weapons are the key ingredients of ethnic war-making. The concerted attention of the EU saved Macedonia from a descent into chaos, although it did so by extracting concessions not from the insurgents but from the Macedonian regime. The EU' mix of financial incentives and diplomatic pressure worked primarily because Macedonia was too weak and too poor to offer resistance.