Macedonia: From Balkan Leader to Sick Democracy

The new parliament of Macedonia, which began working on 10 May, lacks any members from the largest opposition party, and the largest Albanian party in the ruling coalition later joined them in boycotting the swearing-in of the new president on 12 May. This is a result of both accusations of undemocratic methods of governance, and a lack of compromise within the government. The correlation between the deterioration of democracy in Macedonia and the obstacle to its European integration caused by its naming dispute with Greece is becoming more and more evident. The EU should be more active in its efforts to return Macedonia to the path of democratic transformation.