The trajectory of FYR Macedonia’s progress towards European Union (EU) membership has slided precariously downwards as the development of the former Yugoslavian country’s membership application has been brought to a near standstill by the outstanding name dispute with Greece. The dispute revisits ancient history back to the era of Alexander the Great, a hero that both countries claim as their own. Greece vociferously contests the use of Macedonia’s constitutional name “the Republic of Macedonia” based on the assumption that use of such amounts to a territorial claim on the historically Macedonian part of Greek territory in the North-East of the country. This, in spite of the fact that the constitutional name is at present recognised officially by a total of 133 states worldwide.
The issue has not only undermined bilateral relations but has threatened to derail indefinitely Macedonia’s application for EU membership. In the past Macedonia was once considered a shining example to other aspiring EU members in the Western Balkans. Unlike others, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina or Albania, Macedonia was granted official candidate status in December 2005 and in 2009 the Commission recommended opening negotiations. In addition to the positive 2012 progress report on Macedonia by the European Commission , and Štefan Füle, the enlargement Commissioner, said that negotiations should begin. Nevertheless, the country has been displaced by Montenegro which began accession negotiations in June 2012 and most possibly Serbia who was awarded candidate status in May 2012. It is becoming increasingly evident that the political deadlock between Greece and Macedonia is substantially undermining not only the stabilisation of the country itself but the country’s long held EU membership aspiration.
In the midst of the current debate there are signs that the issue could soon be settled in light of recent Greek proposals to resolve the dispute. The Macedonian foreign affairs minister Nikoli Poposki recently announced that both countries had bilaterally moved the issue “decisively forward”. Furthermore, there has been suggestions such as adding “Vardar”, the term used for the main river that runs through the country to the constitutional name or using a “geographical qualifier” such as “Northern” or “Upper” Macedonia. Nonetheless a concrete resolution has not yet been reached. It places the country’s membership negotiations in a precarious position and threaten the stability of democracy in a country that has until recently enjoyed relative internal tranquillity and democratic consolidation. It is striking that Macedonia which was once considered a shining example to its other EU aspirant neighbours in the Balkans has seen its reputation as the good student increasingly undermined.
But problems run much deeper from the surface: the persistent name dispute may mask many more underlying problems in the country. It is, like many of its Balkan counterparts, an ethnically diverse state in which inter-ethnic rivalries have manif
ested themselves most viciously. Throughout 2012 ethnic disputes have resulted in dozens being wounded and two shot dead by police in a tit for tat dispute between ethnic Macedonians and the Albanian minority (25% of the total population). This is coupled with most recent concerns expressed by the opposition: they consider that the democracy is on a slippery slop because of tension regarding the 2013 budget.
The increasing nationalistic tone of the government has threatened further its relations with Greece particularly following the construction of a large bronze statue in honour of Alexander the Great in the centre of Skopje. Moreover, although it enjoys positive relations with its adjoining neighbour Bulgaria, this country came during a December 2012 Council meeting hand-in-hand with Greece in blocking the negotiation process of Macedonia, citing concerns such as discrimination against its citizens in Macedonia and manipulation of history. Bulgarians have been recently outraged by the release of a Macedonian based movie “The Third Half” which depicts Bulgarian soldiers as active collaborators in the mass deportation of Jews from the country during WWII. These collective factors seem to suggest the potential blockade in the opening of negotiations between Brussels and Skopje may run much deeper than the persistent name dispute with Greece.
It is vital that a relaunch is given to the accession process in Macedonia. It would be symbolic and most fitting if this problem would be solved during the Greek presidency of the Council of European Union in the first half of 2014 a programme which places EU enlargement in the Western Balkans high on its agenda. A solution would not only breathe new life into the accession process in the Western Balkans, but it would assist in toning down the nationalistic sentiments of an increasingly insecure Macedonia and result in the reintroduction of good neighbourly relations in the region. It would also largely benefit the image of the EU, fresh from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize by highlighting the continual role of the organization as reconciler in the region. If the process fails it may strike yet another omen over the EU enlargement process and threaten to derail an already tense atmosphere in a region recently divided. In the absence of a political solution it may leave Macedonia trailing behind its counterparts in the accession process, rebranding the country with the unwanted stigma of Europe’s new rump state.
Ben Kennard is a Master’s student of European Interdisciplinary Studies at the College of Europe. He is a graduate in Economics, Politics and Law from Dublin City University (Ireland).
To find more:
Macedonia warms to Greek name solution initiative. EurActiv, 8th November 2012. http://www.euractiv.com/fr/elargissement/conflit-toponymique-la-macedoine-news-515921
European Commission:,The Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia 2012 Progress Report. October 10th 2012. http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2012/package/mk_rapport_2012_en.pdf