ISSUE: 2/2026
- Volume 30
- Number 2
- 2026
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Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Publication co-financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 3 August 2021 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1514) on the “Development of Scientific Journals” programme.
Publikacja dofinansowana przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego na podstawie rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z 3 sierpnia 2021 r. (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 1514) w sprawie programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”.
Publication co-financed by the University of Warsaw within the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme.
Czasopismo otrzymało dofinasowanie w ramach Programu „Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza”.
Frozen Peace, or Peace Without Normality? Student Perceptions of Dayton’s Legacy in North Macedonia
Abstract
Three decades after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Western Balkans remain characterised by what contemporary scholarship conceptualises as so-called “frozen peace”, i.e., a condition in which armed conflict has formally ceased, but underlying political, ethnic, and institutional tensions persist. This study examines how today’s university students in North Macedonia, a generation with no direct memory of the 1990s conflicts, perceive the legacy of the Dayton Agreement, regional security dynamics, and the role of international institutions. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of frozen conflict and institutional trust, this research employs a quantitative survey design involving 61 students from public universities across North Macedonia, predominantly in the field of law. The findings reveal a nuanced, dual perception: while 77% of the respondents recognise Dayton’s effectiveness in ending the Bosnian War, a majority express critical views regarding its long-term political consequences, particularly concerning institutionalised ethnic divisions, political deadlock, and limited state functionality. Notably, 50.8% of students had acquired knowledge about Dayton primarily through the media rather than academic sources, highlighting the role of public discourse in shaping generational memory. Despite growing up in a digital, information-rich environment, respondents demonstrate nuanced political reasoning, recognising both the Agreement’s stabilising function and its structural limitations. The study contributes to the literature on post-conflict peacebuilding by linking generational perspectives with structural analyses of “frozen peace,” demonstrating how younger cohorts internalise and interpret institutional arrangements designed by previous generations. These findings have implications for understanding political socialisation in post-conflict societies, the credibility of Euro-Atlantic integration frameworks, and the long-term sustainability of peace architectures that prioritise stability over democratic consolidation.
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DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2026.8
Language: English
Pages: 157-178
How to Cite:
Harvard
Ilik, G. and Poposka, V. and Karadjoski, M. (2026) "Frozen Peace, or Peace Without Normality? Student Perceptions of Dayton’s Legacy in North Macedonia". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 2/2026, pp. 157-178. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2026.8