"To what extent do domestic elites allow the intervention of international institu-tions to influence domestic economic reform? This question cannot be answeredwithout considering the role of national elites in accepting international institu-tions as a means to advance their own interests. This article provides a critiqueof the neoliberal reform process in transition economies and examines how thesepolicies found support among the people of North Macedonia. This is done by ex-ploring the construct of neoliberal discourse during North Macedonia's reformprocess through an analysis of policy documents, interviews with key actors andthe country's privatisation policy. The findings confirm that mass support for re-form is influenced by the attitudes of the elite. The main implication for policy-makers is, above all, for client-countries and their policy-makers to be more criti-cal of the agenda set by foreign experts for small economies. The article alsohighlights the need for IMF experts to recognise in full the nuances in targetedcontexts and to ensure that policy programmes are relevant by being context-specific."

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