In Briefing Note 15/2012 ELIAMEP “Stavros Costopoulos” research fellow Dr. Ioannis Armakolas and junior researcher Mr. Bledar Feta analyse the recent escalation of inter-ethnic tensions in FYROM. Specifically, they investigate the challenge of coexistence between the Slav Macedonians and Albanian communities and the possibility of NATO membership to shift from a unifying to a divisive feature as the two major ethnicities disagree on its implications for the name issue.