Analysis by András Radvánszki
North Macedonia has successfully conducted a national census after a twenty-year hiatus. The census shows a catastrophic demographic decline and a sharp fall in the proportion of ethnic Macedonians. It has also had an important influence on the debate regarding the country’s ethnic composition and powersharing mechanism, which has been going on for two decades. The results of the census give new momentum to the political cohabitation dictated by the Ohrid Framework Agreement and the incessant fights between the representatives of the Macedonian and Albanian communities for more political influence and resources. Despite the positive reactions of the government and the praise of the international community, the controversies that have emerged regarding the results, the negative attitude of the parties, and the hostile behaviour of many political actors will further deepen the existing political fault lines and may lead to renewed ethnic conflicts.
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