Greece alleges breach of contract by the fresh North Macedonian administration.
The freshly installed North Macedonian administration has rekindled the name squabble with Greece, potentially hampering its chances of joining the EU. As Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis suggests, North Macedonia ought to follow international law in its entirety, including the 2018 accord with Greece regarding the country's name.
However, the current government has been obstinately flouting the agreement, which stipulates that the name "North Macedonia" can be utilized both domestically and internationally.
Since 1991, when Macedonia achieved independence from Yugoslavia, Greece and its northern counterpart have been at odds over the chosen republic's name. Athens feared that this name could be exploited to assert control over the northern Greek province of Macedonia. The dispute was finally settled in a 2018 treaty, under which the Republic of Macedonia was rechristened as the Republic of North Macedonia. Consequently, Greece facilitated North Macedonia's entry into NATO.
Following the ousting of the center-left North Macedonian government that ratified the treaty, new Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski employed the previous country name in parliament last Sunday and labeled the 2018 treaty disgraceful. During his swearing-in, he then used the name North Macedonia, as per the constitution. President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova used the name Macedonia during her May inauguration and claimed it as her inherent right.
Greece has the power to halt North Macedonia's EU membership. Bulgaria, another North Macedonian neighbor, has already imposed a blockade due to a disagreement over minority rights.
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- Given the current situation, the EU's potential approval of North Macedonia's accession might face a significant challenge due to Greece's accusation of a breach of contract by the new administration.
- The obdurate refusal of the North Macedonian government to adhere to the 2018 accord with Greece, which includes using the name "North Macedonia" internationally, has sparked concerns of a potential blockade similar to Bulgaria's, hindering North Macedonia's relations with its neighbors.
- If North Macedonia continues to disregard the agreed-upon name change and ignores the international law stipulations within the treaty, Greece might consider revisiting its stance on North Macedonia's EU accession, which could further complicate North Macedonia's path towards becoming an EU member state.
