Vetoes, Ethnic Bidding, Decentralisation: Post-Conflict Education in Macedonia

This article focuses on political elites in post-conflict Macedonia and investigates how political elites interact - to accomodate or resist each other - across ethnic lines. Theoretically, the analysis draws upon institutionalist literature, in particular literature on power-sharing institutions and ethnic outbidding among ethnic political parties. Building on this framework, the article proceeds to develop three arguments relating to power-sharing and ethnic outbidding: one on the effects of ethnic outbidding on elite accomodation, and two on the impact of power-sharing structures (veto mechanisms and territoriality) on ethnic elite accomodation. Although the main emphasis is placed on domestic factors, the article also briefly considers and examines the impact of external actors, the EU, and the OSCE, on the policy process in post-conflict Macedonia, and how political elites cooperate when external actors get involved in the policy process. This article focuses in greater detail upon education policy in Macedonia, which was one of the most controversial policy issues straining relations between the ethnic Albanian minority and the Macedonian state since independence. The article compares elite cooperation before and after the conflict in 2001 and demonstrates that the dynamics of political elites' interaction have changed to empower ethnic Albanian political elites thanks to the institutional and constitutional system adopted after 2001. However, despite increased accomodation at the central level, ethnic divisions remain at the local level.