Dispute over the name of North Macedonia reignites.
In North Macedonia, the winning political party, VMRO-DPMNE, holds its celebration of victory. They strongly oppose using the country's new name. This is evident in the president refusing to pronounce the name during her oath of office. EU Commission President von der Leyen promptly responded.
Not long after winning the election, the new president of North Macedonia reignited the argument about the nation's name. When swearing the oath of office as the first female to hold such a position, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova opted not to mention "North Macedonia," a name that's been in use since 2018 following an agreement with Greece. This provoked a response from Greece.
In her exact words for the oath, Siljanovska-Davkova said, "I declare that I will exercise the office of President of Macedonia conscientiously and responsibly, respect the constitution and the laws and protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Macedonia." Her party, VMRO-DPMNE, has no interest in recognizing the new name "North Macedonia."
The decision to change the country's name from Macedonia to North Macedonia, as written in the Prespa Treaty, resolved a long-standing conflict with Greece. Athens had opposed the neighboring country bearing the same name as one of its historical provinces, causing a block on both NATO and EU membership. After undergoing this name change in 2018, North Macedonia became part of NATO in 2020. But its journey to the EU remains incomplete.
Greek ambassador walks out of the oath ceremony
The Greek authorities now reacted angrily to Siljanovska-Davkova's choice of words for her oath. The Foreign Ministry stated, "Greece categorically emphasizes that further progress in its bilateral relations with North Macedonia and its European path depends on the full implementation of the Prespa Agreement and, above all, on the use of the constitutional name of the neighboring country."
According to news outlets, the Greek ambassador in Skopje left the swearing-in event, where foreign representatives were in attendance, in protest. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also noted the necessity for North Macedonia to "follow the path of reforms and full respect for existing treaties, including the Prespa Agreement." Then, she congratulated the new head of state online, "Congratulations, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, on being appointed the first female president of North Macedonia."
The 71-year-old Siljanovska-Davkova served a five-year term in office after winning the presidential election in the second round on May 8. She obtained a respectable 65% of the votes, which surpassed her competitor, Governor Stevo Pendarovski. She is the initial woman to govern North Macedonia since achieving independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
With VMRO-DPMNE having won the parliamentary elections on May 8, too, their governance could cause further strain in North Macedonia's relationships with Greece and Bulgaria. These two countries' approval is vital for North Macedonia's acceptance into the EU.
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In response to Siljanovska-Davkova's omission of "North Macedonia" during her oath, Greece strongly advocated for the full implementation of the Prespa Agreement, emphasizing the importance of using the constitutional name. Furthermore, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged North Macedonia to continue its path of reforms and adherence to existing treaties.
Source: www.ntv.de
