When people power forced out North Macedonia's regime in 2016, this was an inspiration to dissatisfied citizens around the Balkans.
Other authoritarians such as president Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia took note and tightened their stranglehold on political and economic life, determined not to let the same happen in their countries.
North Macedonia's incoming centre-left government then struck historic deals with neighbours Bulgaria and Greece; on Greek insistence, it changed its na...
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Kurt Bassuener and Toby Vogel are co-founders and senior associates of the Democratisation Policy Council, a Berlin-based think-tank. They live in Dundee and Brussels, respectively.