North Macedonia: From a colourful revolution to a colourful government - One year to turn everything around?

In 2016 Macedonia’s ‘colourful revolution’ led to fresh elections, which in turn brought a new government to power. In May 2017 The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) formed an alliance with ethnic Albanian parties, and Prime Minister Zaev and his team brought fresh impetus to the country and the region. Zaev’s government has set a new course in both domestic and foreign affairs. In January, the country signed a friendship agreement with Bulgaria, and this month it managed to settle a decades-long dispute with Greece over its name: it will now be called the Republic of North Macedonia.
The new government has revitalised Macedonian efforts to forge stronger links with Europe, including the drawing up of an ambitious plan to strengthen the rule of law and media freedoms, which resonated strongly in the entire region. Skopje is also pushing for a start date for negotiations with the EU, expected to be announced at the European Council Summit at the end of June.
The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung EU Office has the pleasure of inviting you to a roundtable discussion on Macedonia, one year after its new government came to power. We will consider what has already been achieved over this period, and important steps the country must take in the future.

Contact: Marco.Schwarz(at)fes-europe.eu