Macedonian Name Referendum Fails
By Cooper Vardy
For the past 26 years, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and the nation of Greece have disagreed bitterly over ownership of the name Macedonia. Though the clash of nomenclature may appear petty to an outside observer, FYROM has felt real effects. As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) writes, Athens has consistently vetoed the membership of FYROM in both NATO and the EU.
The conflict between the Balkan states has roots in the cultural identity of both nations. Greece, as noted by NPR, “prizes its ancient history above all else” and refuses to concede the ancient name of its northern province, from which Alexander the Great’s sprawling empire emerged. FYROM, on the other hand, has endeavored to claim the title as cultural Macedonians, speaking a Slavic language and decorating the capital streets of Skopje with Bronze Age heroes, BBC reports.
A solution, however, was proposed earlier in the year, with both governments happy to resolve the spat by referring to FYROM as North Macedonia, reports Balkan Insight. This name change would, in theory, granted access to both the military stability NATO supplies in the region as well as economic assistance to the Balkan state from the European Union.
On October 1, a referendum to decide the future of the country was held to subdued results. Rather than a decisive verdict in what the Economist describes as “the most important vote in the region’s recent history,” fewer than 40 percent of the country’s 1.8 million eligible voters took to the polls. The vote revealed an impressive level of support, with more than 90 percent encouraging the constitutional amendment to change the name.
Nevertheless, the decision remains unpopular among most Macedonians, who sees it as a necessary evil. “We don’t change the name because we want to,” Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told the BBC, “We do it because of our future in the EU and NATO. Everyone is aware why we do it.” These views were echoed by Information Minister Damjan Manchevski, who said, “Our citizens were sick of the problem. It has been weighing on Macedonia for such a long time and not letting us advance.”
The Washington Post notes that many Western voices, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and former-President George W. Bush, who pushed for Macedonian entrance into NATO as early as 2008,congratulated Zaev’s efforts. The Economistsuggests that a vigorous “online boycott campaign” succeeded in persuading many Macedonians not to cast their ballots, disqualifying the result, and requiring further debate behind closed doors in Skopje’s parliament. With a split house, and uncertain results in the near future, the stunted verdict is expected to prolong the conflict for an indeterminate period.