On September 30, Macedonia will hold a referendum regarding the name-change deal with Greece, the Macedonian parliament decided with 68 out of 120 votes.
The public will be asked: “Are you for EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?”
The results of the referendum will be taken into account by the parliament and the government, but they will not be decisive. Over 50% of Macedonians eligible to vote must participate in the referendum for it to count as valid.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev praised the parliament’s vote for the referendum as a crucial moment for the country’s future:
As you know, this is a historic moment, not only because of the referendum but also because this decision will define the future of the Republic of Macedonia.
Meanwhile, the opposition, that boycotted the voting, declared that Zaev’s government is attempting to manipulate citizens by asking them an ambiguous question:
The referendum question is absolutely manipulative. The referendum law is very clear. The referendum question must be intelligible, simple, and with no double meanings. The question put forth by the majority has up to eight or nine possible meanings. Someone may be for joining NATO, but not the EU, or vice versa. Someone may want to join both organizations, but may not agree with the name-change deal.
The question must be simple and understandable. Citizens should be asked whether or not they agree with the Agreement with Greece that predicts the change of the country’s name. Therefore, the name-change shouldn’t be linked to NATO or the EU, a separate referendum may be held concerning those.
The deal between Greece and Macedonia, signed on June 17, provides that Macedonia’s new name will be “the Republic of North Macedonia.” The name change would end the 25-year-long dispute between the two countries and would clear the way for Macedonia’s eventual NATO and EU membership.
