What Is the Prespes Agreement

/What Is the Prespes Agreement

The EU`s support for the Prespes agreement stems from admirable ideals of European integration. But it is also another example of a bureaucratized mode of government that often ignores the political realities and sensitivities of the population. Above all, it reflects a complacent attitude that sees EU membership and accession as a panacea for complex ethnic, economic and social problems, but also tolerates negotiations with dubious national elites and turns a blind eye to their methods as long as they reach pro-EU. On-site results. At a time of serious rule of law problems in some EU Member States and popular upheaval in others, such an approach to Europe`s problems is short-sighted and self-destructive. 4. The agreement assumes, most likely out of political expediency, that political obstacles in Skopje and political tensions in Athens – and possible political developments in Greece – can be overcome for free. Continued political and social support for the agreement is seen almost as a standard position. Continued support was seen as being provided both in the signing of the agreement (definitive and irrevocable in terms of implementation) and in synchronising the implementation of the agreement in Athens and Skopje. The international community seems to agree.

The United States was the first to praise the agreement for the peaceful settlement of the name dispute. Congratulations then came from France and Germany. In Greece, the deeply unpopular deal immediately had a negative impact on Tsipras` chances of staying in power. [35] According to separate surveys by Marc and Ekathimerini, between 65%[36] and 68%[37] of Greeks were against the prespes agreement and what was included in it. [38] In 2018 and 2019, there were days of large public demonstrations in Athens[39] and Thessaloniki against the Prespes agreement. [40] There have also been numerous student sit-ins, affecting 210 schools in Central Macedonia alone. Despite the uproar, protesters have been accused of having ties to far-right fascists. [41] In response, the famous composer and leftist Mikis Theodorakis, who was also opposed to the Prespes agreement, called the Syriza government „left-wing fascists.“ [42] Greece has been an enemy of North Macedonia since the country gained independence as Macedonia in the early 1990s. A province in northern Greece is also called Macedonia (how famous the land of Alexander the Great was) and Greece saw in the name of Macedonia a territorial and cultural claim to Greek land. Greece insisted that Macedonia be called the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in international organizations. The current prime ministers of the two countries, Tsipras and Zoran Zaev, began discussing a mutual agreement a year ago.

In Athens, the situation is even more complicated. Tsipras` government survived the vote of no confidence to ratify Prespes, but its small majority relies on some opponents of the deal, lured by the promise of government jobs. Instead, Tsipras plans to ratify the deal this week by removing MPs from smaller opposition parties, which could be rewarded by his party`s inclusion on his party`s electoral rolls in the upcoming elections. Tsipras has already been indicted in recent months by the opposition for undue interference in the judiciary, the media and the military. Today, the tinkering of ad hoc majorities for various votes in parliament has challenged the norms of parliamentary and constitutional procedure and has contributed to the increased distrust of Greek citizens towards political systems. Despite the damage that the Prespes agreement has done to his prestige, Tsipras has doubled his commitment to the agreement and improved relations with North Macedonia. In January, Tsipras said the Prespes deal was one of Syriza`s „most important“ achievements. In early April, he travelled to Skopje with Greek entrepreneurs to promote economic cooperation between the two countries. He even took a selfie with Zaev during his trip.

North Macedonia is not implementing the agreement optimally: Greek government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni pointed to a tweet by North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev at the European Championships in which he referred to „Macedonia“(4)(5). An agreement (later known as the Prespa Agreement) had been concluded, according to which Macedonia would be known both nationally and internationally as the Republic of North Macedonia or North Macedonia for short (Macedonian: Severna Macedonia). According to the agreement, the official language of North Macedonia would be „the Macedonian language“. The Prespa Agreement is the abbreviation of the Agreement, named after the place where it was signed, Lake Prespa. Its full name is the Final Agreement for the Settlement of Disputes as described in United Nations Security Council resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the termination of the 1995 Interim Agreement and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the parties. „Fingers crossed. Thanks to you, the impossible becomes possible,“ he said. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, and Commissioner Johannes Hahn also issued a joint statement congratulating the two Prime Ministers on reaching this historic agreement between their countries that contributes to the transformation of the entire South-East European region. [17] [18] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the agreement and said it would put the Republic of Macedonia on the path to NATO membership. [19] In addition, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson hailed the deal as „fantastic news.“ [20] [21] „The agreement reaffirms and strengthens once and for all the Macedonian ethnic and cultural identity, the Macedonian language, the Macedonian nationality. It guarantees the security of the country and offers a secure future to the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia,“ Zaev said. [22] The withdrawal of the Greek veto led the European Union to approve, on 27 June, the opening of accession negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia, which are due to start next year on condition that the Prespa Agreement is implemented and the country`s constitutional name changed to the Republic of North Macedonia.

[62] On July 5, the Prespa agreement was again ratified by the Macedonian Parliament, with 69 MPs voting in favour. [63] On July 11, NATO invited Macedonia to start accession negotiations to become the 30th member of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance. [64] On the 25th. In June, the Greek Foreign Ministry informed the EU and NATO that Greece would no longer oppose Macedonia`s Euro-Atlantic membership under the new name. The next day, however, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov refused to sign the agreement[58] and threatened Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev and the deputies of the ruling coalition with a prison sentence of at least 5 years for voting in favor of an agreement that, according to Ivanov, subordinated the Republic of Macedonia to a foreign state. .

2022-04-17T16:50:25+00:00 17. April 2022|