Macedonia Name-Change Moves Ahead

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in an October 2017 photo. Wikimedia Commons.

In the late hours of October 19, Macedonia’s parliament voted in favor of a proposed name-change. Currently known officially as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the country’s name will become North Macedonia, a move that could settle a decades-long disagreement with Greece and open up the possibility of joining the European Union.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev led the charge for the bill, supported by his Social Democratic government. They struggled to persuade opposition party members to join their coalition. In the end, they won by an 80 to 40 vote. This tally was the minimum amount required for a two-thirds vote.

This success comes only a month after a referendum on the proposed name change failed to attract sufficient voter turnout to codify the results. Nationalist sentiments were on display as citizens came together to boycott the parliament’s vote.

The nearly 28-year dispute results from Greece’s worry that Macedonia’s current colloquial name implies “a claim on its own northern province of the same name and to Greece’s ancient cultural heritage.” With the new naming proposal, Macedonia would rename itself to rectify the geographical and cultural conflict in exchange for Athens backing down on blocking the country’s entry into NATO and the EU.

Critics of the deal have complained that their concession to Athens is a sign of weakness. The slim margin of the vote show that not everyone is on board with the name change.

Much of the Western world has heralded the reconciliation of the two countries as an important achievement. In contrast, reports have shown that Russia worked hard to undermine negotiations. Many Western leaders have warned that this may be Macedonia’s only chance to join NATO in the foreseeable future.

All 80 members of Parliament who voted in favor of the motion are slated to receive additional police protection in the coming weeks.

Matthew Palmer, a U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, was in Macedonia’s capital this past week, in a show of U.S. support for the name-change proposal.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn hailed the moment as “a great day for democracy in Skopje.”

The road ahead remains fraught for lawmakers supporting the change. The right-wing opposition VMRO-DPMNE party strongly opposes any deal, going so far as to expel deputies who supported the agreement. Accusations of bribery and threats have also been leveled at the majority.

Legislators will have two more opportunities to vote throughout the name change process, which is likely to conclude around January of next year. Although the bill has cleared the first hurdle, the final outcome is still up in the air. It would have to include a ratification by the Greek parliament.