Greece Lobbying EU Over Name Dispute
Skopje Nova Makedonija in Macedonian 18 Apr 05 p 5
Commentary by Dimitar Kjurkciev: "Carefully With Danaids!"
During the course of the lengthy Trojan war, the local cleric Laocoon advised his king Priam: "Be aware of the Danaids (Greeks, my note) even when they bring gifts." The king did not observe the warning and accepted the peace gift of the Danaids -- the enormous horse, ordering his subordinates to open the gate and take it into the interior of Ilion (Troy, my note). During the night, the Greek warriors came out from the womb of the "gift" and carried out a devastating and horrendous slaughter on the brave Trojans of the hitherto insubordinate city-kingdom. Homer, the legendary poet of ancient time, glorified this Greek shrewdness in his famous epic The Iliad, leaving to the world cultural heritage one of the most exciting masterpieces of the secular spiritual classics.
The Danaids' shrewdness is like a parallel imposing itself analogically until the present day as well. This time also in the dispute around the (non)recognition of our constitutional name by the Greeks as the successors of the ancient Danaids. Specifically, these days, after the long-lasting negotiations in New York that are being held under the auspices of the mediator Matthew Nimitz around the problem with the name, the Republic of Macedonia is again exposed to the difficult test of how to bridge the problem absurdly imposed by Greece. Especially in view of the fact that on the Skopje-New York-Athens route during the past days not only the number but also the intensity of a series of speculations, half-truths, and official information about the "dispute" have increased significantly. Especially after March 29 this year, after Nimitz's proposal -- despite the stumbling of our state leadership and its clumsily worded reactions regarding it -- was handed in writing to both negotiating sides.
The temperature went up to almost boiling point after our southern neighbor unexpectedly announced that Greece accepts the proposal of Nimitz for the compromise name to be "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje." We, on the other hand, after several days, announced a double formula (constitutional name in communicating with the world, with the proposal "Republic of Makedonija-Skopje" as a good basis for continuing the bilateral negotiations until an outcome acceptable for both sides is finally found).
The reinforced Greek lobbying throughout the world -- after the unexpected November recognition of our constitutional name by the United States -- with the international community, especially in the ranks of the EU, is trying to instill the opinion that Greece is precisely the side that retreated from the rigid position and that only it is willing for a compromise, and not the state FYROM [Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia], which does not bend even "an inch" in the long-standing negotiations about the name! The messages that immediately came afterward from various parts of the world, especially from the Washington and Brussels meridian, for "encouraging" the two sides in the upcoming finding of a mutually acceptable solution, tends more and more to reinforce the impression that the international pressure, after Nimitz's proposal, is increasing appreciably, but to the disfavor of the side that did not impose the problem -- the Republic of Macedonia!
Coupled with this conclusion is "the deadline for taking a stand" -- by the end of this year, when the evaluation of the answers to the Euro questionnaire and the possible invitation for our membership in the European family is expected. If one bears in mind the fact that the Republic of Greece is a full member of the EU and we are a state exposed to a series of tests for reaching that status, it is hard to predict on whose side the scale is going to tip. Especially in view of the fact that with the positioning of the EU regarding the name, one should have in mind that Brussels is not and never was a hostage of the United States.
The latest voting in the Euro Parliament on the occasion of the Scandinavian proposal for recognizing the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name (only 140 votes "for" out of a total of 600) unequivocally shows who is for the time being still enjoying the European inclination. In this regard, the latest statement of the ICG [International Crisis Group} Balkans director Nicholas Whyte, that the United States will not change its decision for recognizing our constitutional name no matter what, is insufficient comfort. Because it is one thing to be a friend of America, and something entirely different to be a member of the EU.
Commentary by Dimitar Kjurkciev: "Carefully With Danaids!"
During the course of the lengthy Trojan war, the local cleric Laocoon advised his king Priam: "Be aware of the Danaids (Greeks, my note) even when they bring gifts." The king did not observe the warning and accepted the peace gift of the Danaids -- the enormous horse, ordering his subordinates to open the gate and take it into the interior of Ilion (Troy, my note). During the night, the Greek warriors came out from the womb of the "gift" and carried out a devastating and horrendous slaughter on the brave Trojans of the hitherto insubordinate city-kingdom. Homer, the legendary poet of ancient time, glorified this Greek shrewdness in his famous epic The Iliad, leaving to the world cultural heritage one of the most exciting masterpieces of the secular spiritual classics.
The Danaids' shrewdness is like a parallel imposing itself analogically until the present day as well. This time also in the dispute around the (non)recognition of our constitutional name by the Greeks as the successors of the ancient Danaids. Specifically, these days, after the long-lasting negotiations in New York that are being held under the auspices of the mediator Matthew Nimitz around the problem with the name, the Republic of Macedonia is again exposed to the difficult test of how to bridge the problem absurdly imposed by Greece. Especially in view of the fact that on the Skopje-New York-Athens route during the past days not only the number but also the intensity of a series of speculations, half-truths, and official information about the "dispute" have increased significantly. Especially after March 29 this year, after Nimitz's proposal -- despite the stumbling of our state leadership and its clumsily worded reactions regarding it -- was handed in writing to both negotiating sides.
The temperature went up to almost boiling point after our southern neighbor unexpectedly announced that Greece accepts the proposal of Nimitz for the compromise name to be "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje." We, on the other hand, after several days, announced a double formula (constitutional name in communicating with the world, with the proposal "Republic of Makedonija-Skopje" as a good basis for continuing the bilateral negotiations until an outcome acceptable for both sides is finally found).
The reinforced Greek lobbying throughout the world -- after the unexpected November recognition of our constitutional name by the United States -- with the international community, especially in the ranks of the EU, is trying to instill the opinion that Greece is precisely the side that retreated from the rigid position and that only it is willing for a compromise, and not the state FYROM [Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia], which does not bend even "an inch" in the long-standing negotiations about the name! The messages that immediately came afterward from various parts of the world, especially from the Washington and Brussels meridian, for "encouraging" the two sides in the upcoming finding of a mutually acceptable solution, tends more and more to reinforce the impression that the international pressure, after Nimitz's proposal, is increasing appreciably, but to the disfavor of the side that did not impose the problem -- the Republic of Macedonia!
Coupled with this conclusion is "the deadline for taking a stand" -- by the end of this year, when the evaluation of the answers to the Euro questionnaire and the possible invitation for our membership in the European family is expected. If one bears in mind the fact that the Republic of Greece is a full member of the EU and we are a state exposed to a series of tests for reaching that status, it is hard to predict on whose side the scale is going to tip. Especially in view of the fact that with the positioning of the EU regarding the name, one should have in mind that Brussels is not and never was a hostage of the United States.
The latest voting in the Euro Parliament on the occasion of the Scandinavian proposal for recognizing the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name (only 140 votes "for" out of a total of 600) unequivocally shows who is for the time being still enjoying the European inclination. In this regard, the latest statement of the ICG [International Crisis Group} Balkans director Nicholas Whyte, that the United States will not change its decision for recognizing our constitutional name no matter what, is insufficient comfort. Because it is one thing to be a friend of America, and something entirely different to be a member of the EU.