TheAromanian question (Aromanian:Chestiuna armãneascã;Greek:Αρωμουνικό ζήτημα,romanized: Aromounikó zítima;Romanian:Chestiunea aromână), also sometimes known as the "Vlach question",^[1] refers to the historical and current division of the ethnic identity of theAromanians, mostly with ones being pro-Greek, pro-Romanian or self-identified purely or primarily as Aromanian.

Greek influence is deeply rooted in theAromanians. They have always been linked to the GreekEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which has bounded their cultural and economic activities with theGreek church. Therefore, wealthy urbanized Aromanians had been active promoters of theGreek language for a long time. In the 17th and 18th centuries, this language was used as alingua franca in various parts ofsoutheastern Europe, and it was necessary to speak it in order to achieve a higher social status or to receive education. Due to the influential position of Greek, not only several Aromanians but alsoAlbanians,Bulgarians andMacedonian Slavs began to declare themselves as ethnicGreeks. Such was the strength of this influence that the first texts inAromanian, written in theGreek alphabet, promoted the spread ofGreek culture. Many settlements in centralGreece were easilyHellenized without the need of political or religious movements.^[2]

However, the development of an Aromanian identity began to appear in thediaspora. Early Aromanian grammars and language booklets show an awareness of a more "Latin" or "Romance" identity. In 1815, the Aromanians ofBuda andPest asked to use their language as theliturgical one. This national renaissance had similar characteristics with the many other renaissances that occurred during the 19th century. This was strengthened by the emergence and independence ofRomania, which began to influence lands still belonging to theOttoman Empire withpropaganda and to initiate educational policies with the Aromanians ofMacedonia,Thessaly andEpirus. The firstRomanian school in the Balkans was established inTrnovo (now inNorth Macedonia) in 1864 byDimitri Atanasescu, and by the early 20th century, there were about 100 Romanian churches and 106 Romanian schools in Macedonia and Epirus. Many Aromanians eventually joined the Romanian movement, which had as its goal the recognition of theUllah millet ("VlachMillet", a semi-autonomous "community" for the Aromanians), which happened on 22 May 1905.^[2]

The various emerging identities of the Aromanians and the appearance of their national question was due to the strength of the different Balkanic national movements, especially the Greek and Romanian ones, and the continued intervention of external powers in the region. A Greek–Romanian conflict finally erupted during theMacedonian Struggle that led to battles and fights between distinctly oriented Aromanians and the break-up ofGreek–Romanian diplomatic relations in 1906. During this time, there were also pro-Bulgarian and pro-Italian Aromanians, but in more reduced numbers. Romanian influence over the Aromanians weakened shortly beforeWorld War II.^[2] During the Europeancommunist regimes, the Aromanian question lost relevance, but after its fall and the minority policies of theEuropean Union, the question has been "reopened".^[1]

The Aromanian identity has managed to prevail in modernSlavic states (Bulgaria, North Macedonia andSerbia), as well as inAlbania recently and in the Aromanians descended from those who migrated to Romania since 1940, as those who migrated earlier are mostlyassimilated. In Greece, there are also areas where the Aromanians have preserved various distinct cultural features, especially in the regions ofGrevena,Veria and nearAthens. Modern pro-Greek Aromanians often identify with Greek culture and show rejection of the Romanian one, while modern pro-Romanian Aromanians see themselves as part of the Romanian ethnic group with a different dialectof the same language, disassociating themselves from Greek culture.^[2] Still, today in Romania, there are Aromanian figures who advocate the separate ethnic nature of the Aromanians from the Romanians, seeking the recognition of the Aromanians as an ethnic minority in the country. These figures are sometimes referred to as "Neo-Aromanians" or "Neo-Aromanianists", defending "Neo-Aromanianism", by opponents of this notion.^[3]

• Politics of the Aromanians
• National questions
• Politics of Greece
• Politics of Romania
• Aromanian nationalism
• Greek nationalism
• Romanian nationalism
• History of international relations
• Political controversies
• Greece–Romania relations

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