Privatization of Security in Macedonia: Genealogy and Contextualization

Abstract

The paper examines the genealogy of the privatization of security in the Republic of Macedonia since the state gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. The basic premise is that the process has been complex including both external and internal factors but also it was affected by the developments that shaped the Macedonian statehood and influenced them in return. The article singles out three research questions: what were the causes of privatization of security? What shapes it has taken during the long process of democratic transition? What have been the consequences of the 2001 intra-state conflict on the privatization of security and vice versa? The starting hypothesis is that failure to achieve a satisfactory level of democratic governance during the last 25 years predetermined the state of affairs in the sphere of private security, and vice versa - the blended boundaries between State, party/parties, and business interests resulted into the privatization of both State institutions and security structures (be they public or private). The Macedonian case represents an adequate example of a failed democratization with perverted privatization of power and security.