Consociationalism on Europe’s Periphery: A Comparative Analysis on Institutional Stability in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland and North Macedonia

This thesis examines in a comparative fashion the experiences of two post-conflict European polities, the Republic of North Macedonia (hereafter “North Macedonia”, for ease of reference, regardless of the state’s official name at the historical moment in question) and Northern Ireland. It seeks to answer the puzzle of why the Northern Irish experience has been characterised by institutional instability and periodic collapse, in contrast with the far more stable institutional performance in post-conflict North Macedonia, in spite of their manifold similarities as cases. Through analysis of the electoral performance of extreme parties in both jurisdictions, and process-tracing of certain instances of particular instability and crisis, it tests hypotheses surrounding the distinctive roles of the European Union in both polities and the effect of electoral systems on consociational governing structures. The findings suggest that, contrary to what the literature would lead one to suspect,...Show moreThis thesis examines in a comparative fashion the experiences of two post-conflict European polities, the Republic of North Macedonia (hereafter “North Macedonia”, for ease of reference, regardless of the state’s official name at the historical moment in question) and Northern Ireland. It seeks to answer the puzzle of why the Northern Irish experience has been characterised by institutional instability and periodic collapse, in contrast with the far more stable institutional performance in post-conflict North Macedonia, in spite of their manifold similarities as cases. Through analysis of the electoral performance of extreme parties in both jurisdictions, and process-tracing of certain instances of particular instability and crisis, it tests hypotheses surrounding the distinctive roles of the European Union in both polities and the effect of electoral systems on consociational governing structures. The findings suggest that, contrary to what the literature would lead one to suspect, Northern Ireland’s instability cannot be attributed to any significant degree to its electoral system, and that a more salient point of difference lies in the European Union’s scope for direct action in North Macedonia, whilst calling for further research on the distinction between intra- and inter-communal crises.Show less

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Consociationalism on Europe’s Periphery: A Comparative Analysis on Institutional Stability in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland and North Macedonia