North Macedonia is a state that builds its identity on the denial of the other—especially of the indigenous Albanian people on their own lands, who today make up nearly half of the population.
Instead of being a model of multiethnic coexistence, this state has become a “laboratory” of discrimination and institutionalized racism against Albanians.
The greatest irony is that this reality is sustained not only by Macedonian elites but also by Albanian political parties, which for decades have functioned as blind instruments of Macedonian power and as guarantors of the stability of a foreign state that treats Albanians as second-class citizens.

The Betrayal of the Albanian Political Elite?!
Albanian political parties in North Macedonia have lost all sense of national mission. Instead of representing their people’s interests, they have chosen to engage in dirty deals for government posts and personal privileges. The history of the past two decades is a history of shameful coalitions, in which Albanian parties have served as window dressing for every Macedonian government, while Albanians continue to be underrepresented in state institutions, marginalized in the economy, and excluded from decision-making processes.
The Ohrid Agreement, which was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era of equality, was used by Albanian parties as a shield of excuses to advance political careers, while it has never been fully implemented.
Albanians today remain hostages of a broken education system that often pushes young people toward emigration, while Albanian-populated areas continue to suffer from infrastructure reminiscent of the last century.

Macedonian Racism as a Pillar of the State
North Macedonia has inherited a nationalist state ideology that consistently sees the Albanian nation as a threat, not as a partner.
The history of this state is filled with examples of violence and discrimination against Albanians:
The events of 2012 in Smilkovci clearly showed how Albanians can be collectively criminalized without evidence, while Macedonian media relentlessly spreads hate speech.
The 2001 conflict was used by the state to legitimize the ethnic division of the country, while the agreement that emerged from it was never truly implemented.
Albanians often face police and judicial violence, where justice is biased (selective) and ethnicity is a decisive factor in the treatment of citizens.
Prisons are filled with former members of the National Liberation Army (NLA).

From Brodec to Kumanovo – When the State Attacked Albanians
In 2007, the village of Brodec became the scene of a brutal police operation, with the help of special forces brought in from Skopje. Under the pretext of capturing “terrorists,” Albanian men were arrested and publicly beaten, while Macedonian media worked to create a climate of fear, portraying Brodec as a “dangerous extremist hideout.”
In May 2015, the “Divo Naselje” (Hero’s Neighborhood) in Kumanovo was razed by a military-scale operation, staged and never investigated to this day.
Dozens of Albanians were killed, wounded, or imprisoned under dubious charges.
No high-ranking official was held accountable for this bloody operation that shocked both national and international opinion. Yet within Macedonia, this horrific act was presented as a “Victory against Albanian terrorism.”

One of the deepest wounds for Albanians in North Macedonia is the ongoing prosecution and imprisonment of former fighters of the National Liberation Army (NLA).
Those who in 2001 took up arms and rose for freedom and national equality are now treated as criminals, while members of the Macedonian security forces who committed crimes against Albanians enjoy immunity and state honors.
Macedonian prisons are filled with former NLA fighters, often tried on politically motivated charges rather than concrete evidence.
This recurring phenomenon is proof of a systemic injustice used as a weapon against Albanians, where the struggle for equality is labeled “terrorism.”
Meanwhile, the Albanian parties that rose to power thanks to the sacrifices of these men remain silent and make backroom deals for posts, betraying those who sacrificed themselves for a just cause.

The European Illusion and the Role of the International Community
The EU and the USA often praise North Macedonia’s “Multiethnic Progress,” while the reality on the ground is completely different. They have chosen stability over justice, becoming silent collaborators in a discriminatory system.
Albanian parties, instead of challenging this international duplicity and hypocrisy, choose to be puppets that legitimize a state which excludes Albanians from real political power.

Copenhagen – 09.09.2025