Series:ANALYTICA - Policy Briefs

A threshold for European aspirations. NATO membership. 2008.

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

At a meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap D.H. Scheffer, former Macedonian Prime Minister, Vlado Buckovski, talking about the NATO demands for 110% fair elections in Macedonia, said: “Secretary General, you're asking for miracles. But I accept the miracle.”. This is a regular political joke, especially since the elections of July 2006 were not exactly “110% fair”. Yet, this statement is also indicative from another perspective – it speaks about the political discourse in Macedonia, how things are perceived, referred to and understood. Thus, it seems rather ironic, if unsurprising, that the Macedonian discourse about NATO should revolve around ‘miracles’ – demanding or accepting them. NATO officials have continually emphasized the ‘rational’ nature of NATO, its enlargement and the criteria for enlargement. There should be nothing miraculous about them! When a state is ready, when all necessary reforms and preparations in the defense and political sectors have been completed, it receives an invitation for NATO membership. In the meantime, NATO evaluates the progress of reforms and provides guidelines and recommendations. It is as simple as that.

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Assessing the Oversight Mechanisms of the POLICE FORCES IN MACEDONIA

Author(s): Kaltrina Selimi / Language(s): English

Macedonia is an attention grabbing case for analyzing how a state’s security sector has evolved, and whether it has succeeded in embracing democratic practices or not. Macedonia’s peaceful exit from communist Yugoslavia in the 1990s, its experiences during and after the Internal Armed Conflict in 2001, and its efforts to join the EU and NATO make its recent history ripe for such analysis. The aim of this policy brief is to describe the existing oversight mechanisms of the Macedonian police forces - whether they succeed at implementing proper control of the police forces and the use of force continuum, and what kind of challenges they encounter at their work.

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Civilian Capacities for Peace Operations. Case Study – Finland

Author(s): Andreja Bogdanovski / Language(s): English

This policy paper examines the Finnish experience regarding the civilian capacities for peace operations. As such, it illustrates how this segment of Finland’s foreign policy has been developing over the years and it went through several transformations by way of its own internal reform processes. It begins by looking at the wider context in which the model operates because of Finland’s membership in the European Union and its substantial involvement and interaction with other regional organisations such as the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the UN. The text continues by describing Finland’s institutional arrangements for sending civilian capacities abroad, by explaining the main state structures in charge of the implementation of the policy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and the Crisis Management Centre). The policy paper concludes with an analysis of the legal backbone of Finland’s civilian participation in, and contribution to, peace operations.

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Conceptualizing decentralization trends in Macedonia

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

As of writing this brief, Macedonia is in the wake of the first anniversary of the start of decentralization process. More than a year has passed since 1 July 2005 when it was marked the beginning of a very complex and major reform process the country has experienced since its independence. The importance of the first anniversary of the decentralization process comes at the critical era when the country is on the eve of starting with the second phase of the decentralization process when new fiscal and budgetary resources will be transferred from central government to the responsibilities of local self-government units. Also, it is the period when country is closely monitored by the EU institutions for its ability in being able to start with the accession talks.

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Contributor Profile: The Republic of Macedonia

Author(s): Andreja Bogdanovski / Language(s): English

Over the past decade, Macedonia has provided only a few peacekeepers to UN peace operations. Instead, it has almost exclusively focused on participation in EU and NATO missions. Macedonia’s participation in UN peace operations began in October 2006 when it deployed a single police officer to UNMIL in Liberia to work on gender issues. Currently, it contributes a single soldier to UNIFIL in Lebanon. Macedonia has offered a limited contribution to UNIFIL since 2007, with one staff officer in charge of collecting information from both sectors East and West based in the mission’s Joint Operational Centre in Naqoura. As such, Macedonia lags behind its neighbors in the Western Balkans in terms of contributions of uniformed personnel to UN missions.

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Energy poverty in Macedonia

Author(s): Ana Stojilovska,Sonja Zuber / Language(s): English

Energy poverty has challenged the already socially fragile Macedonia on its way to EU integration. This paper analyzes the state of energy poverty in Macedonia and the policies tackling it in order to draft policy recommendations for their improvement to the respective stakeholders. Tackling energy poverty is important in order to bring the country on a sustainable path.

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Grassroots Europeanisation in the Western Balkans is just starting: Visa facilitation

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

In April 2007, the Western Balkan countries initialed visa facilitation agreements that will allow more simplified procedures when applying for visas for entering the EU countries. Readmission agreements were also initialed between the countries of the region and the European Commission that will require from the countries to take back all of their citizens found to be residing in the EU illegally. Macedonia signed the agreement in Brussels on 13 April, while Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro signed theirs in Zagreb, on 14 April.

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Legal Insight into Macedonia’s newly approved Law on Public Servants

Author(s): Agim Selami / Language(s): English

Looking back and analyzing the flow of the reform process on the public administration in Macedonia there’s a perception that this is a never‐ending and quite complex process. All governments to date have never expressed any fatigue or dilemmas in relation to the reform. However, this willingness has not been all the time complemented with the right actions and strategies that would “incarnate” the idea of an ideal public administration system. The battle for power among political parties has many times undermined the general interest. Hence, the critical stand of the international factor toward the development of the reform, being closely monitored by them. The current government’s willingness to give priority to the EU agenda is mostly expressed through drafting laws compatible to the EU Aquis Communitaire. One of them is also the already approved Law on Public Servants, which was proposed by the Ministry of Justice. The initiation for drafting this law itself had opposite reactions, praised from ones and faced with strong opposition for the envisaged legal provisions from others.

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Local gasification policies in Macedonia: exploring pioneer projects

Author(s): Ana Stojilovska / Language(s): English

Since its independence, one of the most anticipated policies of the Republic of Macedonia in the energy sector has been to gasify its territory, which however proved to progress very slowly over the years. On the other hand, the increasing energy prices as district heat, electricity etc. prompted the need for drafting local solutions to address the issues of inefficient and expensive heat practices. At the same time, the municipalities according to the Law on energy are obliged to adopt own local energy efficiency programs and according to the Law on construction they are responsible for approving power utilities with capacity up to 1MW and secondary gas networks, which opens the possibility for local heat or gasification projects. Few municipalities aware of the benefits gasification projects might bring, initiated them at local level, presenting pioneer examples of bottom-up policies that have shown positive results in a relatively short period like saving energy and finances and developing the gas distribution network, thus they have potential to increase the utilization of natural gas at national level.

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Macedonia – back in the global spotlight

Author(s): Andreja Bogdanovski / Language(s): English

What has brought Macedonia back into the global spotlight? Basically: the police operation in Kumanovo, 9 and 10 May 2015, which catapulted Macedonia into media headlines around the world. This large-scale operation against what officials identified as a terrorist group (partly infiltrating from Kosovo) ignited fears of fresh internal ethnic clashes like those of 2001, when Macedonian security forces were fighting ethnic Albanian rebels. In 2001 the country was on the verge of a civil war, which was prevented thanks to the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, ultimately a power-sharing agreement. The concern in 2015 has been whether inter-ethnic clashes might erupt again.

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Macedonia and the Western Balkans Awaiting the 2008 EU Progress Reports: Back to Basics

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Facing 5 November 2008, when the Commission is to publish the progress reports, Macedonia and the wider Balkan region are considering the options for speeding up the process of accession to the EU. However, the difficulties faced with regards to political reforms, such as lack of political dialogue between the government and opposition decreases the likeliness that Macedonia will start accession talks in the years to come unless there is consolidated reform process that would be tested in the upcoming elections of March 2009.

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Macedonia’s preparations for civilian contribution to peace operations - the next big thing after the withdrawal from Afghanistan?

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Probably one of the most exploited phrases by politicians from the Western Balkans when talking about issues on defense reform and international security is that the “countries from the region, from peace importers, have become peace exporters”. Over the years Macedonia has established itself as a country where that export product is mainly through military means. This policy paper aims to put the question of civilian contribution to peace operations on the agenda and advocates increased debate among policymakers and officials. It does not, however, undermine nor support a decrease in Macedonia’s military contribution. The main focus of the text is the identification of advantage areas that Macedonia has developed through the years which could be utilized in the civilian capacities (CIVCAP) model. Therefore the paper lists: 1) policing, 2) media, 3) crisis management and power sharing as Macedonia’s ready to be exported products. It also provides an insight into the ongoing legislative and institutional preparations. While legislation for contribution to peace operations by civilian means is largely in place, what seems to be lacking is a strategic turn towards more civilian contribution. This therefore produces many unknowns about civilian participation among policymakers still making it sound very remote.

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Macro analysis - Case Study Macedonia

Author(s): Bojana Mijovic Hristovska,Tamara Mijovic Spasova / Language(s): English

The broad - based GDP growth supported by robust exports and by public investments, improved the macroeconomic outlook of the country. Macroeconomic situation is sound and stable and certainly it is expected to stay on the track in the future. The economic growth was mainly generated by domestic factors, primarily investments and exports. Also, there is a permanent decline in the unemployment rate, as well as slower inflation rate. The fiscal policy continued stimulating and supporting the economic recovery. The support was financed by borrowing, primarily external, thus further increasing the external debt. Economic growth is expected to continue in 2016. The anticipated growth projections are backed by foreign export -oriented investments and public infrastructure investment. Moreover, the stable monetary policy and macro-prudential measures taken by the National bank monetary authority, should improve the credit growth and domestic consumption. However, domestic political uncertainties and the crisis in Greece constitute significant downside risks. The fiscal policy of the Republic of Macedonia is aimed at achieving reasonable balance between strategic goals, preserving macroeconomic stability and encouraging economic activity by increasing the quality of public finances. Public finances, as the other side of the coin of the overall macro policy of the country are certainly very interesting and instigating field for analyzing. In this document, a few of the many aspects of public finances will be shortly elaborated, i. e. public debt, public private partnership, tax justice and public infrastructure. At first, the report gives a legal definition and the main principles of the public debt. According to the Fiscal Strategy, the public debt of the Republic of Macedonia at the end of 2015 amounted to 46.5% of GDP, while the state debt in the same period amounted to 38.0% of GDP. With respect to limits set in the policy for public debt management, it can be concluded that public debt is within the situated limits, having in mind that at the end of the first quarter of 2016 the its value amounted to 45% of GDP, thus it is expected not to exceed 60% of GDP in the long run. However, public debt levels have risen noticeably in recent years. Regarding the other dimension of public finances, the public-private partnership is relatively new topic in the Republic of Macedonia. The new Law on concessions and PPP was adopted in 2012. Over the past years, the only form that was used for PPP projects was the concessions leading to many infrastructure and other public interest projects in the form of concessions, mainly at the state level. The main benefits of putting into law and regulating the PPP are usually for the local self-government, especially for stimulating more intensive use of public-private partnerships in developing infrastructure and public services. Regarding the issue of tax justice there is not a simple national definition used to define the term “Tax justice”. In the beginning of the 90’s, along with the introduction of the new economic system in the Republic of Macedonia, a new fiscal system was introduced based on the principles of market economy, private property, independence of the economic subject, etc. New principle which was incorporated in the current fiscal system of the Republic of Macedonia was the principle of allocated neutrality of taxes and the budget according to which, with the instruments of the fiscal policy some sectors would not be stimulated and supported. Public infrastructure investments present the development component of the fiscal policy with intent for improving the economic perspectives and quality of life of the citizens. The crucial objective of this type of investment is to advance the transportation network in the country (highways, railroad tracks, regional and local roads), as well as to improve the energy and utilities infrastructure, the educational, social and health systems. These capital investments, in addition to the recent positive effect on the economic activity, also contribute for strengthening and boosting the competitiveness of the country in the long term period, thus being of key importance for increasing productivity and production.

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Migration and Development in Albania and Macedonia: the effects of remittances on education and health of family members left behind

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Albania and Macedonia as traditionally migrant sending countries have experienced unprecedented migration and the end of this process is not in sight, it continues unabated. Emigration is reshaping Albania and Macedonia affecting local politics, economies and priorities, including the education and health of the family members left behind. As regards the effect of migration and remittances on education and health outcomes, the focus on Albania and Macedonia is crucial as there has been year on year low schooling and low health outputs in both of these countries. Children’s school attendance rates and literacy rates as well as health status are relatively low, leaving significant room for improvements in educational attainment and healthcare. The education might be publicly provided, however many families cannot afford to pay for it for their members due to several expenses related to school attendance such as transport, textbooks, supplies, or other implicit costs such as losses in family members with the migration. The importance of migration and of remittances for the migrant sending countries is measured also by the well-being of their recipients in terms of improved health status and in particular the health of the children. Remittances in volumes are high, and have become an increasing source of household income. Very interesting question is whether this increasing source of income has an impact on human capital accumulation decisions, including on schooling and healthcare. Many migrant sending families receive considerable financial transfers from their family members living and working abroad. Remittances help the population in migrant sending countries to cope with the distress of poverty, the inefficiencies of local labor markets and the break-down of the social security system.

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Migration and Women Empowerment in the Western Balkan countries

Author(s): Edlira Narazani,Isilda Mara,Sanela Bašić,Ana Stojilovska / Language(s): English

In the last twenty years, Albania has been often associated with migration. Starting with only 127.639 emigrants in 1990, the stock of Albanian emigrants reached almost a million and a half in 2010 which means 45.4% of Albanian population. The Albanian migration in the beginning of the migration cycle (1990) was mainly male-led with a strong tendency of increased female migration in the following years. Main destination countries of Albanian migrants are Greece and Italy.

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Oversight and Transparency in the Canadian Intelligence Establishment: Lessons for a Young Democracy

Author(s): Natasia Kalajdziovski / Language(s): English

Intelligence as statecraft has been a long-practiced and embraced manner for nation-states to gather information about both their enemies and allies in equal measure. However, as intelligence practice has become more formalized throughout the past century, new expectations relating to the openness and transparency of intelligence actors – especially those operating in liberal democratic states – came to the fore. There is now an expectation of acknowledgement from intelligence actors toward their populaces about their mandates, purpose, and activities; this is accomplished through both greater efforts at transparent dialogue between the two bodies, but also through comprehensive oversight mechanisms – mechanisms which are put in place to ensure that the activities of intelligence actors remain within their legislative remit and within the law.

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Security and energy sectors’ cooperation with the civil society in Macedonia – friends or foes?

Author(s): Ana Stojilovska,Magdalena Lembovska / Language(s): English

The cooperation between civil society and state institutions is an important segment of the reforms the candidate countries have to undertake in order to comply with the EU accession criteria. Moreover, it is one of the crucial corrective roles civil society plays in democracies. The Republic of Macedonia, a candidate country for EU membership since 2005, has undertaken a number of reforms to improve its dialogue and cooperation with civil society. In this line, the Government created a Strategy for cooperation of the Government with the civil society in 2007, succeeded by a new Strategy in 2012. However, experience shows that the implementation varies from ministry to ministry. Having in mind the capital-intensive profile of the energy sector and the legacy of the previous system applying to the security sector, both sectors do not have a tradition of transparency and openness. They also play an essential role in the country’s national security. All of that is considered to be a justification for decisions to take place behind closed doors. Therefore, these sectors prove not to engage themselves actively into cooperation with civil society.

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The Future of International Police Missions in the New Global Security Environment – Contribution of Western Balkans Police Forces to EU’s International Policing

Author(s): Andreja Bogdanovski,Uroš Živković / Language(s): English

The existence of a police component in UN peace operations is not a novelty. It goes back half a century ago and was first introduced in the Congo in the 1960’s. Embedding police components in UN missions became more extensive at the end of the 90’s, when different types of it (support of country security reforms, advice, monitoring etc.) were incorporated in all UN Security Council approved missions after 1999.

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The state of energy (in) security in Macedonia

Author(s): Andreja Bogdanovski,Ana Stojilovska / Language(s): English

Energy security is of crucial national security importance. This paper analyzes the state of energy security in Macedonia and tries to identify the main issues hampering an improved energy security situation.

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The Swedish Presidency with the EU – Expectations for the Western Balkans

Author(s): Sonja Risteska / Language(s): English

On the 1st of July 2009, Sweden took over the Presidency of the EU for the next six months. As each member state of the European Union takes its turn in presiding with the European Council for a period of six months in accordance with a pre-established rotation schedule, the agenda of each presidency reflects the interests of the member state. It is a critical position as each presidency plays a central role in organizing the work of the Council and serves as the driving force in setting the agenda, as well as in directing the legislative and political decision-making process.

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