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Hundreds of Macedonians demonstrated in the capital for a second-straight night to protest an agreement, made by the government with Greece, to rename the country.
People armed with flags and chanting "Macedonia!" filled Skopje, on Monday, to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev while lauding President Gjorge Ivanov – who promised to repeal any ratified name-change.
The Macedonian Interior Ministry stated that seven police officers and two other people sustained injuries during the demonstrations. The deal has led to protests in both countries and unrest in Greek Prime Minister (PM) Alexis Tsipras’s left-right coalition.
Foreign ministers from both countries signed the agreement to change Macedonia’s formal name to the Republic of North Macedonia, terminating a 27-year dispute between Athens and Skopje. Lawmakers will now start a debate ahead of a referendum that will happen later this year.
The agreement will allow former Macedonia to begin membership talks with the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) under the country's new name. Macedonia is currently a member of the United Nations under the provisional name, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece previously vetoed Macedonia's bid to join the EU and NATO.
The name countries' name dispute began in 1991 after Macedonia broke away from the former Yugoslavia and declared itself an independent Republic of Macedonia – a name Greece objected to citing the possibility of territorial annexation of their similarly named northern region.
According to some polls, about 45 percent of Macedonians are willing to forgo NATO and EU membership to retain the Macedonia name.
Tsipras has had a less than amicable relationship with the EU since austerity measures were imposed under the bailout agreements.
“I feel like a chess player who is simultaneously playing two games because you know at the same time (there are) the name issue negotiations and crucial negotiations for the debt issue,” the prime minister said. “I’m hoping, as we had a breakthrough yesterday, we will have the same next week in maybe the most crucial for the country after eight difficult years.”
Dimitris Kammenos, who was expelled from Tsipras ally Independent Greeks party after backing a no-confidence motion against the government, insisted the deal was indeed a quid pro quo.
“There were arguments related to the economy,” Kammenos told Skai TV. “Whether Greece would get the debt deal was subject to whether it would give the name Macedonia.”
However, Independent Greeks' spokesperson Theodoros Tosounidis said those claims were rubbish, “There was never reciprocity between the process for a deal over Skopje’s name and negotiations on financial issues within the framework of the EU. He (Kammenos) is obviously trying to link things to cover up his actions.”
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