That difference is a government exercising civilised restraint and trying to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of an Albanian minority which accounts for around one-third of the country's population. The armed Albanian extremists seem to have shared the misconceptions of some Western commentators who argued that, in going to war for Kosovo, NATO demonstrated support for the violent agenda of a 'Greater Albania'. However, Western support for the Macedonian state against Albanian violence is perfectly consistent with military intervention in Kosovo to protect Albanians against Serb violence. This message may finally be sinking through to the Albanian rebels. It is true that Albanians in Macedonia suffer discrimination in daily life, and may not have been made to feel full equality as citizens.
Ethnic resentments are palpable, and have been worsened by the recent violence.
If Albanians are not part of national structures they can't identify with the country', he added. Not all of these demands are unreasonable. Nor is it unreasonable, however, for some Slav politicians to worry about the paralysing effects of bi-national federalism in a small country with a weak state. The role of the West in resolving these issues is critical. Macedonia's relative stability until now has, in some measure, vindicated Western policies.