Ride-or-die supporters?

Albanian narratives on Euro-Atlantic integration

Abstract

North Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration has faced and continues to face significant political challenges. Despite the difficult accession process to NATO and the seemingly never-ending efforts toward the EU, the country’s Albanian minority and its political leadership have consistently demonstrated strong support. The paper first examines the foreign policy objectives and then classifies the narratives employed by Albanian political actors to reaffirm their steadfast commitment to Euro-Atlantic structures. Apart from strong justifications linked with (regional) security and inter-ethnic relations, the so-called ‘west’ is depicted as the only alternative for Albanians. Although the group remains more favorable toward Euro-Atlantic integration compared to ethnic Macedonians, the prolonged EU accession process―coupled with Albania’s faster progress in integration―may negatively influence their attitudes, too.