Macedonia Naming Dispute: Solved?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44401643
The naming dispute dates since the dissolution of Yugoslavia, when the new, independent state of Macedonia was created in 1991. Although the name "Macedonia" was used, without any issues at international recognition, by the socialist predecessor of the modern country, which was part of the federal republic of Yugoslavia, many Greeks, including high officials, reacted passionately at the new name. Governments fell, trade embargoes were declared and tensions rose, until 1995. Then an Interim Accord was signed, which allowed Macedonia to join several global organisations, after having made a couple of compromises, such as changing its flag and adding a new constitutional amendment, where territorial expansion was explicitly forbidden.
However, the negotiations proved fruitless in regards to the name of the country, until last week, where the prime ministers of the two countries, Zaev and Tsipras for Macedonia and Greece respectively agreed to the compromise of Northern Macedonia. Moreover, the Macedonian language will be recognized by the United Nations as belonging to the Slavic family and the nationality of the citizens of the Republic of Northern Macedonia will be called as Macedonian, but after having disassociated themselves from the ancient kingdom. The compromise was greeted positively in an almost universal scale, with the unsurprising exception of domestic audiences. Extremists in both countries plan rallies in an effort to press their governments to backpedal and populists try to exploit the radicalism of the mob to gain votes.
In Macedonia, president Ivanov criticized the deal and clarified he's not going to approve it. Of course, his veto is not omnipotent. According to the established procedure, he is obliged to accept any legislation, if the Parliament votes in favour of it again, for a second time after its rejection from the president. Meanwhile, in Greece the atmosphere became quite heated during the vote of no confidence initiated by the main opposition party. A member of Golden Dawn, a group of Greek Nazis, openly called for a military coup, then retracted his statements and is now hiding from the police, following a car pursuit, having been accused of high treason. The reaction from the Greek and Macedonian nationalists shows that the proposed solution is still far from certain, as long as the fragile leadership faces the dilemma of fixing a mutually damaging dispute, at the expense of serious political cost.
In my opinion, the agreement is definitely a positive development, capable of benefiting both neighbors in the short term, while also gradually deescalating the tribalism manifested from many nationalists. Essentially, it's based on nothing other than inflammatory rhetoric conflicting nationalist narratives. Macedonia is a young state that inevitably tries to construct its own national myth, upon which it will justify its existence. The name of Macedonia, linked to the conquests of Alexander III, who still enjoys a legendary reputation, is obviously a very attractive option, which renders its history very prestigious. Ruthless politicians exploit tribalism, by building kitsch statues (also addressed by the agreement) and emotionally appealing to the steady disappearance of the Slavo-Macedonian minority in Northern Greece, in order to gain votes and distract society's attention from their corruption and administrative inefficiency.
In Greece, the situation is similar, as nationalists get upset at having their monopoly at the history of Macedonia questioned and become paranoid over doom-and-gloom scenarios of Northern Macedonia reaching the Aegean Sea. Basically, it's a vicious circle, where nationalists exploit each other irredentism and hostility to profit politically and financially over something completely stupid, which doesn't harm or help the interests of anybody. The quality of the discourse has devolved so severely that the nationalists model themselves along the nationalist Committees that acted during the Macedonian Struggle, essentially a war between various bands of brigands busier at massacring civilians than fighting each other in the Ottoman Vilayet of Selanik.
Fortunately, I hope that, providing the agreement is ratified by the parliaments and the popular referendums, the situation will quickly improve, because nothing will happen, contrary to the claims of the nationalists' scare-mongering. Neither Greece will invade up until Kosovo nor Macedonia will annex Mount Olympus. Slowly but surely the controversy will be forgotten, except for some obscure TV shows, where insincerely passionate salesmen will rant over the great betrayal after urging their viewers to buy their DVDs and their books printed in cheap paper. It will hardly matter to anyone outside the most ignorant and fanatical ultra-nationalists.
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Originally Posted by Sukiyama
all over again. Parliament full of pretentious, lying, corrupted scum and i see no hope for the future since the old uneducated and gullible generations and the fanatic party loyalists represent most of the voting mass. Democracy has been failing hard for decades in this country.
