Obstructionist Greece
Croatia and Albania get admitted to NATO. Macedonia does not:
Greece announced earlier it will veto any attempt to allow Macedonia to join until the dispute over the name of this former Yugoslav republic is solved.
It’s a shame that this couldn’t’ve been resolved, given that Macedonia’s territorial integrity can tend towards the uncertain due to Albanian irredentism. Then again, it’s not much of a surprise that it wasn’t, given that Greece has rarely played a constructive role in the Balkans, especially in recent memory.
Albanian irredentism? Try the oppression of the 40% to 45% of “Macedonia” that is in fact Albanians who don;t call themselves Macedonian. This whole name issue is about forcing Albanians to call themselves something else.
Do you believe freedom for Kosova was “irredentism”? You seem to imply that Kosovars should call themselves Serbs.
Did you read Michas book which you linked? Skopje was even more enthusiastic in supporting Serb oppression then Athens ever was.
I suppose it’s fair enough to correct me on my use of the term irredentism. Secessionism would be more fair.
I don’t mean to imply that Kosovars should call themselves Serbs, no—I’ve written about it at some length in these pages. However, I also don’t think that Kosovo/Kosova is any kind of precedent for national self-determination, but rather a state of affairs that the Serbs brought down on themselves through blatant displays of brutality. Politicians with any sense of deftness could have easily rehabilitated Serbia’s image in the eyes of the world after the fall of Milošević and kept ill-gotten Kosovo as an autonomous province indefinitely. It’s a testament to the insanity of the Serbian body politic that things have gotten to where they are today.
As for Macedonian attitudes during the war, they at least were a part of Yugoslavia and playing to what they thought were their best interests at the time—as indeed were all the different republics. Greek meddling has no such justification.
In Macedonia there is less than 30% Macedonian’s Albanians. They have two Albanian Universities,one is sponsored by the state, means the rest of 70% Macedonians sponsored Albanian’s education. In Macedonia all small ethnic groups (Turks,Vlavs,Serbs,Roms)have 8 year,basic school on mother languages. The problem with Macedonia’s name is only a mask behind Greece is hiding a real problems. Greece do not recognize the fact that in northern parts of the country lives manorities that they call them self Macedonians,Turks,Vlavs etc. Between Balkan Wars and after 2nd WW, Greece make exodus of more than 300.000 people, and they bring other population from Asia to make ethnic cleansning of the Macedonians.Some of these peoples are still live and they have documents that they own this part of land. About ancient Macedonians we know that they were not Greeks,they use greek language as most spreaded in that time to conquer the world, as I now use English to explain my point of view.Every time when Alexander wanted to tell something secret to his generals he used macedonian language. There are too many history facts about this issue that Greek has to change their educational program in order not to produce paranoic nationalsts.
Best regards
Again, real laziness considering I have a lot to say about this issue for me to just post a link, but read this on a USA-MK security pact. And by the way, Greece is being completely and totally unreasonable about Macedonia’s name, and always have been. See Hugh Poltoun’s “Who are the Macedonians?” for more.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/9521/