ABSTRACT
Macedonia is a case in which the EU has become highly active as a mediator between Macedonian and Albanian elites. Since Macedonia became a candidate country for EU accession in 2005, the European Commission has included in various forms the advancement of political dialogue as a priority in its Partnerships and Progress Reports. In addition, the EU has formally participated in the management of the political relations in the country, increasing the scope of its involvement in domestic affairs. Thus, the chapter examines the dynamics between EU involvement through the requirements of political dialogue and the response from the national level, as well as the implications of this relationship for the democratic consolidation of the country. Illustrating the evolution of the EU’s engagement from inter-ethnic to intra-ethnic relations between national political actors, the chapter argues that the EU has obtained the role of a domestic actor, thereby changing the nature of the enlargement process.
