Russian Propaganda Campaigns Target North Macedonia

Russian Propaganda Threatens North Macedonia’s EU Path Amid Constitutional Reform Delays

The influence of Russian propaganda throughout the Western Balkans continues to challenge the region’s stability and European integration efforts. North Macedonia, despite joining NATO in 2020, finds itself increasingly vulnerable to such influence as its EU accession process stalls amid domestic political complications.

Recent developments in Skopje have raised serious concerns about the country’s European future. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, despite campaign promises to advance constitutional amendments within six months of taking office, has explicitly backtracked on this commitment.

“There will be no constitutional changes as long as I am prime minister, unless at least two conditions are met,” Mickoski declared on January 29, citing concerns about the rights of ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria and guarantees against bilateral vetoes in the EU accession process.

This reluctance to move forward with promised reforms creates a dangerous vacuum, according to experts. Murat Ali, a political scientist at Mother Teresa University in Skopje, notes that while the delays reflect internal political dynamics rather than direct Russian manipulation, the geopolitical consequences remain significant.

“Any delay in constitutional changes also means postponing the country’s accession process to the European Union. And, the further away the perspective of EU membership, the greater the space for the influence of third actors, including Russia,” Ali explains.

The effectiveness of foreign influence operations depends heavily on receptive audiences. Years of frustration with the lengthy and conditional EU integration process have created fertile ground for alternative narratives in North Macedonia and across the Balkans.

Moscow’s information manipulation strategy targets emotional and identity-based vulnerabilities. Russian propaganda consistently portrays itself as the defender of traditional values, Orthodox identity, and Pan-Slavism, while painting the West as a liberal force imposing humiliating conditions that undermine national identity.

The name change from Macedonia to North Macedonia, requirements for constitutional amendments, and minority rights protections are frequently characterized as EU-imposed “humiliations” in Russian-backed messaging.

Petrit Saraçini from the Institute for Media and Analytics highlights how religious and traditional sentiments serve as key instruments in this influence campaign. “Church structures and so-called civic initiatives are used as intermediary channels to feed narratives against the ‘degenerate’ West,” Saraçini says.

The impact extends well beyond media spheres into local politics. Parties like Levica openly express anti-NATO and anti-EU positions, while smaller entities such as Janko Baçev’s “United Macedonia” actively promote closer ties with Russia while rejecting Euro-Atlantic integration.

Even within North Macedonia’s current government, there are figures with Moscow connections. Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Stoilković, who leads the Democratic Party of Serbs, has participated in Russian security forums where he advocated for bilateral cooperation.

These concerning links were acknowledged in a European Parliament report dated June 26, 2025, where rapporteur Thomas Waitz warned about the influence of the “Serbian world” concept promoted by government representatives and connected to Russian and Chinese regional interests.

The mechanics of Russian propaganda distribution are well-established. Content from Sputnik Serbia, RT Serbia, and Serbian tabloids is adapted for Macedonian audiences and spread through local media outlets. Social platforms amplify these narratives further.

“Facebook, X and Telegram in particular are used by the Russian embassy in Skopje and are empowered by bot farms to spread disinformation, especially regarding Russian aggression in Ukraine and so-called ‘traditional values,'” notes Saraçini.

Rather than seeking complete domination of public discourse, these operations aim to fragment information environments, create confusion, and weaken faith in democratic processes and institutions.

While Russian influence hasn’t yet become dominant in North Macedonia, it presents significant risks. The propaganda efforts fuel ethnic and religious tensions, undermine institutional trust, and impede European integration progress.

Effective responses require professional media institutions, government transparency, public media literacy education, and regulatory frameworks addressing media ownership and financing. Defending against disinformation doesn’t constitute censorship but rather protects the integrity of public discourse.

North Macedonia now faces a pivotal choice between continuing reforms toward European integration or pursuing alternatives that offer questionable development prospects and security guarantees.