GLIGOROV, SOCIAL CHANGE AND STATEHOOD
GLIGOROV, SOCIAL CHANGE AND STATEHOOD

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the political and historical role of Kiro Gligorov in the making of Macedonian statehood through a sociological lens. Focusing on the decisive period of the early 1990s, it analyses how Gligorov’s leadership intersected with broader processes of social change, state-building and identity formation in the post-Yugoslav context. The study draws on Piotr Sztompka’s sociology of social change, as well as broader debates on agency and structure, to conceptualise Gligorov as an individual actor operating within a dense web of institutional, geopolitical and cultural constraints. The paper pursues two main aims: first, to analyse the role of Gligorov in the political development and consolidation of the Republic of Macedonia; and second, to explore how his presidency interacted with wider socio-economic and socio-cultural transformations in Macedonian society. Methodologically, the paper is designed as a qualitative case study based on interpretive analysis of primary and secondary sources, including political speeches, interviews, constitutional documents and existing historiographical and political science literature. The analysis suggests that Gligorov combined moderation, legalism and pragmatic international engagement in ways that contributed to the peaceful emergence and consolidation of Macedonian statehood in a highly turbulent regional environment. At the same time, his public role helped to shape patterns of democratic culture, conflict avoidance and political discourse that extended beyond his formal mandates. By linking an individual-centred analysis of political leadership with a sociological reading of historical change, the paper contributes to broader discussions on the role of political actors in critical junctures and processes of state formation.

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