Name row pits Macedonia between patriotism and pragmatism

SKOPJE: When Macedonia declared independence in 1991, the new country chose a name that evoked the past glories of its most famous claimed son, Alexander the Great. But nearly three decades on, the decision to use the name of the ancient kingdom ruled by a general who once conquered half of known civilisation is hampering the fledgling nation´s place in the modern world.

Macedonia, a former Yugoslav republic home to some 2.2 million people, has fought since its inception with neighbouring Greece over the name it shares with a northern Greek province. Many Greeks fear the use of the name suggests Skopje may harbour territorial ambitions. What started as a tug-of-love over a 2,400-year-old ruler — a source of great pride for both nations — has morphed into a charged political dispute holding back Skopje´s efforts to join the European Union and NATO. Athens, a member of both, has so far blocked the bids over the name issue.

“There is no other way to join NATO without solving the name issue,” the military alliance´s chief Jens Stoltenberg said this week on a visit to the Macedonian capital. Known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the United nations, the country elected a new government last year offering some hope of a breakthrough. Replacing a nationalist, right-wing administration, the new ruling Social Democrats relaunched talks with Athens in a bid to settle the dispute.

This week a UN envoy said he was “very hopeful” that a solution was in reach, while Macedonia´s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said the row could be ended “by the end of the first quarter of 2018.” But Macedonians themselves are split over whether changing the name of their homeland is too high a price to pay to join the world´s largest single market and defence alliance. - Upper Macedonia? - Macedonia´s ethnic Albanian minority has applauded moves towards a compromise. But other Macedonians, mainly ethnic Slavs, are less enthusiastic. “I´m Macedonian! How can something like this (the country´s name) be changed?” said Done Stojanoski, a retired shopkeeper. “Why don´t they change the name of Americans?” the 67-year-old added. As Greek nationalist groups mobilise for mass demonstrations this weekend, a raft of not particularly catchy alternative names is circulating.

These include: Upper Macedonia, Northern Macedonia, New Macedonia or Macedonia-Skopje. “No, no!” said Zlatko Andreevski, a 32-year-old farmer from the central town of Prilep. “What would I call myself, northern-Macedonian? It doesn´t suit me.”