A Fragile Republic: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia between Past and Future

Author: Marilena Koppa
Date: 1994 - Athens
Publisher: Papazisis ISBN: 960-02-1045-4

The book examines the problems affecting the political system of FYROM, in an effort to present and discuss the major factors of stability and instability currently operating within this new Republic. After a brief historical analysis of the nation-building process that led to the creation of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia during the Titoist Period, the book focuses on the main actors of the newly created political system and the overall results of the post-ommunist reforms at different levels of public life. The author attempts to examine the various aspects of the difficult Slav-Albanian relations within this Republic, with a view of testing the hypothesis that the major problem which threatens the very existence of the state and at any moment can jeopardize its unity, is the interethnic conflict between these two communities. This is the first attempt by a Greek author to look at the real problems of the new Republic without the analysis being overwhelmed by the differences dividing Greece and FYROM.