COMPETING STATE IMAGES ON THE FORMER YUGOSLAV SPACE: MACEDONIA VERSUS ILIRIDA

Abstract

During the disintegration of multinational federations at the beginning of the 1990s, existing political units within the Yugoslav political space declared independence and ethnic groups residing in them sought to establish separate autonomous entities. This study specifically focuses on state-building policies in North Macedonia during the Yugoslav turmoil of dissolution with a “state within society” approach. It examines how post-communist Macedonian political leadership attempted to build a dominant state image on the territories of the former Yugoslav socialist republic. The article argues that if an autonomous, united, and centralized state perception fails to resonate with society, alternative state images may emerge within the same national territory- possibly even transcending legitimate borders. This study applied the “states as images” approach to the Macedonian-Albanian relations in North Macedonia during a limited period, from the dissolution of Yugoslavia to the 2001 conflict. It is posited that post-communist Macedonian political elites projected a Macedonian state image through practices. However, Albanians of Macedonia implemented policies on behalf of revived Ilirida perception, where they could unite with Kosovar Albanians in the future. The 2001 conflict demonstrated that the Ilirida state image had reached a war-making capacity, challenging the Macedonian state’s monopoly on violence. As a result, Macedonian authorities were compelled to negotiate and eventually transform the state into a Macedonian-Albanian image.

Keywords

• Yugoslavia
• Macedonia
• State image
• Albanians
• Macedonians

ESKİ YUGOSLAV TOPRAKLARINDA YARIŞAN DEVLET İMAJLARI: MAKEDONYA’YA KARŞI İLİRİDA

Abstract

1990’lı yılların başında çok uluslu federasyonların dağılma sürecinde Yugoslavya siyasal alanı içerisinde mevcut siyasal birimler bağımsızlıklarını ilan etmiş ve bu birimler içerisinde yaşayan etnik gruplar ayrı özerk yapılar kurma arayışına girmiştir. Bu çalışma, Yugoslavya’nın dağılması sırasında Kuzey Makedonya’daki devlet inşası politikalarına “toplum içinde devlet yaklaşımıyla” odaklanmaktadır. Post-komünist Makedon siyasi aktörlerin eski Yugoslav sosyalist cumhuriyeti topraklarında dominant bir devlet imajı inşa etme politikalarını incelemektedir. Bu makale toplumdan özerk, birleşik ve merkezi bir devlet algısının halk arasında yerleşmemesi durumunda, alternatif devlet imajlarının bir ulusun topraklarında ortaya çıkabileceğini ve hatta siyasi sınırları aşabileceğini ileri sürmektedir. Çalışma, Yugoslavya’nın dağılmasından 2001 çatışmasına kadar seçilen sınırlı bir süre boyunca Kuzey Makedonya’daki Makedonya-Arnavutluk ilişkilerine devlet imajları yaklaşımıyla bakmaktadır. Post-komünist Makedon siyasi elitlerinin yürüttüğü uygulamalarla bir Makedonya devleti imajı ürettiği öne sürülmektedir. Ancak, bölgedeki değişen güç dengeleri sırasında Makedonya Arnavutları, İlirida algısını canlandırmış ve gelecekte sınırların ötesindeki Kosovalı Arnavutlarla birleşebilecekleri bu hayali birime yönelik politika yürütmüştür. 2001 çatışması İlirida devlet imajının savaş yapma kapasitesine eriştiğini göstermiş, şiddet tekelinin ortadan kalkmasıyla diz çöken Makedon otoriteler, devletin Makedon-Arnavut imajına dönüşmesini müzakere etmek zorunda kalmıştır.

Keywords

• Yugoslavya
• Makedonya
• Devlet imajı
• Arnavutlar
• Makedonlar.

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