Ibrahimi: The Ohrid Agreement Stopped the Conflict, but Albanians Remained a Minority

The Ohrid Agreement had an impact in several directions: it ended the conflict, addressed some of the inequalities in Macedonia, increased the representation of non-majority citizens, paved the way for expanding the use of the Albanian language, and initiated the decentralization process. However, whenever it is discussed, it must be emphasized that the agreement, signed on August 13, 2001 under pressure from the political representative of the KLA, barely fulfilled the initial aims of the KLA.

According to Ibrahimi, the document defined the state as the property of the Macedonian nation, which is considered the bearer of sovereignty, as well as of ethnic communities, or minorities.

He assesses that Albanians did not change their fundamental status and continued to remain a minority. The term “ethnic minority,” which was used before 2001, was replaced in the Ohrid Agreement with the expression “ethnic community,” which Ibrahimi describes as a euphemism for “minority.”

Even after the agreement, the Albanian language remained a minority language, with its use limited and defined in this way by the legal provisions adopted later.

Meanwhile, the principle of fair and adequate representation was not turned into a constitutional and legal obligation, but continued to depend on the will of the governments.