Europeanization and F.Y.R. Macedonia: towards a compound polity?

This contribution considers whether European Union (EU) pre‐accession aid is contributing to the development of a more compound polity in F.Y.R. Macedonia and, specifically, the extent to which there is a process of Europeanization characterized by emergent features of multi‐level governance. After examining the state of play concerning governance and politics, the different EU pre‐accession instruments are discussed with a focus on the Instrument for Pre‐Accession Assistance. The main argument advanced is that F.Y.R. Macedonia is a simple polity that is quickly evolving into a compound polity and that the EU accession process and the requirements of pre‐accession aid are important factors in this evolution process. However, alongside EU‐induced changes are other initiatives and processes that are often promoting change in the same direction that make it increasingly difficult to isolate the independent effect of EU pressures.