25 years Ohrid Agreement: Is N. Macedonia's peace holding?

Twenty-five years have passed since the Ohrid Framework Agreement brought an end to the ethnic conflict in North Macedonia, but tensions remain. The six-month war in 2001, often seen as the final chapter of Yugoslavia's breakup, was ended through a political compromise involving NATO, the United States, and leading EU countries. Today, the country is grappling with the legacy of that agreement.

Ali Ahmeti, the former leader of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army who later joined the political scene, believes ethnic relations have worsened in recent years. Issues such as language discrimination, unequal representation, and the promotion of a monoethnic state are causing concern. Bujar Osmani, a senior member of the opposition Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), argues that the question is no longer about the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement but whether its gains can be preserved.

The agreement's political system, which introduced power-sharing mechanisms for minority communities, has largely been seen as a success. However, disputes over equality and representation continue. Some argue that affirmative representation policies have created unfair advantages for Albanians, while Albanian politicians claim that the real concern is the gradual erosion of rights secured under the agreement.

Harald Schenker, from the German peacebuilding organization Pro Peace, warns that ethnic distance is increasing, the education system remains segregated, and community understanding is decreasing. The prolonged stalemate in EU integration negotiations has also contributed to uncertainty about North Macedonia's future.