The fight for a name – Macedonia’s fight for national subjectivity and the creation of identity

Abstract

After Macedonia obtained its independence a few questions appeared again. What is the shape of its cultural and ethnic history? Will Macedonian ethnicity keep its continuity through the sense of tenure over its native land, its heritage and awareness of belonging to the same ethnic group? Although detachment from Yugoslavia took place without major military conflict, the new Balkan nation was not recognized by its neighbour – Bulgarians did not recognize the country, the Serbian Church did not recognize autocephaly of Macedonian Church and Greece did not recognize either Macedonia as a country or as a nation. The important issue discussed in this work is identity, social as well as national, in the context of the elements that unite the community such as the state, religion and collective memory. Identity is a very important factor in a country that became independent not so many years ago because the sense of identification with a given community has an integrational function and gives members a feeling of security. The article will first include a capsulation of the history of Macedonian statehood after 1991 and the problems that the young state encountered during this period. Also in this part, the author will inform the reader of the past and current state of Macedonian-Greek relations, as these were instrumental for the present shape of the country and society. In the last part of this particle, the author will present the opinion Macedonians hold on these notions, as discovered on the basis of research and analysis of social behaviour.