Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization

The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (in Macedonian: Vnatre?na Makedonska Revolucionerna Organizacija, ????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ????????????, in Bulgarian: Vatreshna Makedonska Revolyucionna Organizaciya, ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ???????????, VMRO), commonly known in English as IMRO, was the name of a revolutionary political organization in the Macedonia region of the Ottoman Empire, and later in Bulgaria and the Macedonian regions of Greece and Yugoslavia. In the 1990s it was revived as a nationalist political party in both the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria.

The modern IMRO

With both Bulgaria and Yugoslavia under Communist rule, there was no scope for IMRO's revival. After the death of Josip Broz Tito in 1980 Yugoslavia began to disintegrate and democratic politics in Macedonia revived. Many exiles returned to Macedonia from abroad, and a new generation of young Macedonian intellectuals rediscovered the history of Macedonian nationalism. In these circumstances it was not surprising that the IMRO name should be revived. A new IMRO was founded on June 17 1990 in Skopje. Although IMRO claims a line descent from the old IMRO, there is no real connection between the old IMRO and the new one.

Related Topics:
Josip Broz Tito - 1980 - June 17 - 1990 - Skopje

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Republic of Macedonia became independent in November 1991, and IMRO emerged as the leading nationalist party. The country's first presidential elections in 1994, however, were won by a moderate former Communist, Kiro Gligorov. IMRO's appeal to Macedonian nationalism was helped by the refusal of Greece to recognise the new state. But IMRO was kept out of power until 1998 by the combination of President Gligorov and Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM).

Related Topics:
Republic of Macedonia - 1991 - 1994 - Kiro Gligorov - Greece - 1998 - Branko Crvenkovski - Social Democratic Union of Macedonia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the later 1990s the main issue in Macedonian politics was relations with the large Albanian minority, and in 1998 IMRO came to power under Ljubco Georgievski on a platform of resistance to Albanian demands. In 1999 the IMRO candidate Boris Trajkovski was elected President, completing IMRO's takeover. Once in office Trajkovski pursued a more moderate policy. In 2002 Georgievski's government was defeated at legislative elections. In 2004 Trajkovski was killed in a plane crash and Crvenkovski was elected President, defeating the IMRO candidate Sashko Kedev.

Related Topics:
1998 - Ljubco Georgievski - 1999 - Boris Trajkovski - 2002 - 2004 - Sashko Kedev

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The party is now officially called the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (In Macedonian: Vnatre?no-Makedonska Revoluciona Organizacija-Demokratska Partija za Makedonsko Nacionalno Edintsvo, or VMRO-DPMNE). It describes itself as a Christian Democratic party which supports the admission of Macedonia to NATO and the European Union.

Related Topics:
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity - Macedonian - Christian Democratic - NATO - European Union

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A distinct IMRO organisation has also been revived in Bulgaria under the name Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Bulgarian National Movement. This group continues to maintain that Slav Macedonians are in fact Bulgarians. The group's objectives include: "affirmation and complete international recognition of the Republic 's independence, preservation of its territorial integrity." The group also says that: "Despite its traditional naming after the 19th century formation, the present VMRO is a modern social and political organization." The group is not among the major parties but it was the only significant right-wing organization in Bulgarian politics until the unexpected success of extremist National Union Attack at the parliamentary elections on June 25, 2005.

Related Topics:
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Bulgarian National Movement - National Union Attack - June 25 - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the very same election, the Bulgarian IMRO won 5.7% of the popular vote and 13 out of 240 seats in the parliament together with its partners from Bulgarian People's Union, the Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union-People's Union and the Union of Free Democrats. Thus, IMRO will have a total of 5 MPs in the next Bulgarian parliment, including one from the traditional base of the movement in the District of Blagoevgrad (Pirin Macedonia).

Related Topics:
Bulgarian People's Union - Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union-People's Union - Union of Free Democrats - District of Blagoevgrad

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~