Interest groups in Macedonia: Growing pains in a strong party state

AuthorLidija Hristova,Aneta Cekik
Published date01 May 2019
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1836
Date01 May 2019
SPECIAL ISSUE PAPER
Interest groups in Macedonia: Growing pains in a strong party
state
Aneta Cekik |Lidija Hristova
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje,
Macedonia
Correspondence
Aneta Cekik, Ss. Cyril and Methodius
University, Skopje, Macedonia.
Email: anetac@isppi.ukim.edu.mk
This article examines the development of the interest group system in Macedonia
since independence and the extent to which it has been able to exert any influence
in the political arena. We show how security issues, slow economic development,
and democratic deficits have impeded the development of an extensive interest group
system able to compete freely in national politics. This has resulted in Macedonia hav-
ing a bifurcated interest group system with influential power elites but low participa-
tion by citizens in formal interest groups. Despite this, there have been some
diversification of the group system, restructuring of exiting associations, professional-
ization, and increased ability, especially that of citizens and social movements, to influ-
ence national politics.
1|INTRODUCTION
Macedonia gained independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (SFRY) in September 1991. Since then, it has worked to con-
solidate pluralist democracy. It might be assumed that nurturing the
essential elements of a comprehensive, effective, pluralist interest
group system has been part of this process of democratic consolidation.
Yet today, Macedonia remains an unconsolidated democracy with
a number of democratic deficits in what, in effect, is a party state
operating in a consociational democracy, with ethnic powersharing
arrangement. This has presented challenges to developing an indepen-
dent interest group system able to operate effectively in the policy
making process. Nevertheless, although the mass of Macedonians do
not participate in formal interest groups, there have been advances
in the development and activities of formal groups and increasing cit-
izen action that have added new elements to advocacy activity.
This article examines the mobilization of interest groups, their
activities and development, and their ability to influence public policy
in the years since independence. This includes assessing their role in
national politics and their contribution to democratization since the
demise of the SFRY.
Existing work on interest groups in Macedonia is scant. There are
previous studies on particular types of groups (Hristova, 2008;
Majhošev, 2012), survey results from a study of interest groups in
Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia (Cekik, 2015), and articles on
the Europeanization of interest groups (Cekik, 2017; Hristova & Cekik,
2015). However, there is no comprehensive treatment of groups and
group activity in Macedonia.
Given this dearth of information, this article drew on a range of
sources. A review of the literature on interest groups provided the
basis for understanding the development of the Macedonia system
and for comparisons with the experience in other countries. Legal
and public sources were used for explaining the legal environment
and the number and types of interests and interest groups operating
in contemporary Macedonia.
Specific sources included a project on civil society groups in the
Balkans (Cekik & Hristova, 2015). The details of this study are cov-
ered in the first article in this volume (see section 4). To acquire infor-
mation on contemporary interest group activity and the influence of
formal and informal interests, we conducted interviews with several
political practitioners. Details of the components of this survey are
also provided in the first article to this volume (see section 5.5). A list
of those surveyed and their affiliations is provided at the end of this
article.
The article begins by outlining the fundamental characteristics of
Macedonia's contemporary interest group system. The rest of the arti-
cle considers the factors and developments that have produced these
characteristics and how the group system has related to the process of
pluralist democratization.
2|THE FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF MACEDONIA'S INTEREST GROUP SYSTEM
As a political system with a long history of authoritarian rule and a
short experience with democracy, Macedonia's interest group system
DOI: 10.1002/pa.1836
J Public Affairs. 2019;19:e1836.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1836
© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pa 1of12

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