Civil Society in Macedonia's Democratization Process

Civil society is generally regarded as a critical feature of a stable democracy. This paper analyses civil society in Macedonia and questions its real contribution to the consolidation of democracy. Drawing on the democratization theory, a conceptual framework is outlined in an attempt to contribute to our understanding of how and under what conditions civil society is an important factor in the democratization process in multi-ethnic societies, such as Macedonia. However, this also involves a consideration of the main problems many post-transition societies are confronted with and which constrain civil society's functions.