Russian Influence in the Western Balkans: Elite Receptivity and the Limits of Institutional Penetration

Abstract

This article examines the nature and limits of Russian influence through non-state actors in North Macedonia. To analyze these dynamics, it employs the concept of elite receptivity and introduces a novel analytical distinction between symbolic and institutional influence. It argues that while Russia has built a complex network via ideological proxies—encompassing a range of right-wing and left-wing political parties, civil society organizations, and factions of the Orthodox Church—its ability to secure institutional capture remains severely constrained. This limitation is attributed to the pro-Western orientation of the mainstream political elite, structural coalition dynamics, and particularly the uniformly pro-European stance of the Albanian political parties. By foregrounding elite receptivity as the mediating factor between symbolic resonance and institutional penetration, the article foregrounds how internal political configurations condition and mediate the impact of foreign influence.