When she was sworn in as the country’s first female president, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova reignited the name dispute with Greece, torpedoing North Macedonia’s EU aspirations. During Sunday’s ceremony, the politician from the nationalist party VMRO-DPMNE refused to use the country’s new name, which has been in effect since a 2018 agreement with Greece.
“I declare that I will exercise the office of President of Macedonia diligently and responsibly, respect the constitution and laws and protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Macedonia,” Siljanovska-Davkova said verbatim.
North Macedonia’s accession to the EU could have been made more difficult by the outcome of the parliamentary elections, which also took place on 8 May. In the elections, the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE also won a majority in parliament, replacing the ruling Social Democrats SDSM. With the VMRO-DPMNE victory, North Macedonia’s relations with its neighbors Greece and Bulgaria, whose approval is crucial for EU accession, could now deteriorate significantly.
The Greek government criticizes the “illegal” process
Sharp criticism came from Athens on Monday. “Any progress in our bilateral relations, as well as every step Skopje takes towards Europe, depends on sincere respect for the agreement,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed. Siljanovska-Davkova’s disregard for the official text during her swearing-in ceremony was an “illegal and unacceptable” act.
Bulgaria expects “full implementation” of the agreements
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev warned that the negotiating framework with North Macedonia, approved by the EU Council in 2022, must be respected by leaders in Skopje. The European perspective of the Republic of North Macedonia will depend entirely on the “comprehensive implementation” of all agreements, Bulgarian interim Head of Government Dimitar Glavchev emphasized.
The dispute over the name broke out in the 1990s, when Macedonia gained independence after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Greece feared territorial claims from its neighbor to a northern Greek province of the same name. After lengthy negotiations, both sides agreed in 2018, through United Nations mediation, to change the name North Macedonia, which came into effect in 2019. The deal allowed North Macedonia to join NATO, and Greece also gave up its opposition to joining the EU.
Source: Krone
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