Stern message sent to Skopje

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned newly sworn-in North Macedonia President Gordana Siljanovska that further violations of the name agreement signed between the two countries would threaten Skopje’s European Union membership ambitions.

In a social media post written Monday in response to Siljanovska’s reference on Sunday to her country as “Macedonia” instead of its constitutional name “North Macedonia,” Mitsotakis said her “provocative decision… to violate the official text of her oath and refer to her country by a different name constitutes an illegal and unacceptable initiative.”

“It breaches the Prespes Agreement and the constitution of her state. It also undermines its future prospects,” Mitsotakis said.

“It’s well known that as the opposition, New Democracy voted against the 2019 agreement. In fact, it warned at that time about the problems that its shortcomings would create. However, as a government, we respected the Greek signature on an international treaty that binds the country. Unfortunately, the recent development confirms our consistently cautious position,” he wrote.

Siljanovska’s stance also drew a swift reaction from EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.

Mitsotakis stressed that the continuation of such provocations will receive an appropriate response.

“Greece rejects maneuvers like those with which Mrs Siljanovska has inaugurated her tenure. [Greece] urges her to return to her lawful duties and behaviors befitting her role. We emphatically declare that we will not accept similar mistakes. And we reiterate that any progress in bilateral relations, as well as any step of Skopje toward Europe, depends on the sincere adherence to the agreements, the proper use of the constitutional name of the neighboring country, and, of course, on the avoidance of provocations,” he said.

It should be noted that Skopje has not yet implemented basic elements of the Prespes Agreement, such as replacing the country’s public documents (travel documents, public administration material, identity cards, driving licenses etc) with new ones bearing the country’s constitutional name.