Vote deepens split over renaming Macedonia

SKOPJE, Macedonia — Macedonia’s government prepared for a political battle Monday to push through a deal with Greece that would ultimately pave the way for NATO membership, after the agreement won overwhelming support in a referendum but with low voter turnout.

The European Union, NATO, UN secretary general and the United States urged the small Balkan nation country to move forward with the next steps required to enact the deal. Macedonia’s international partners have been eager to see the country join international institutions, in a region where Russia hasn’t been keen on NATO picking up new members.

Final results from Sunday’s referendum showed that among the 36.9 per cent of registered voters who cast ballots, 91.4 per cent supported the deal that would change their country’s name to North Macedonia. In return, Greece would drop its longstanding objections to its northern neighbour being considered for NATO membership.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, declared the referendum a success and said he would move forward with the next step: seeking a two-thirds majority in the 120-member parliament for required constitutional amendments.

If the amendments do not pass, Social-Democrat Zaev said he would have no choice but to call an early election.

Opponents of the deal with Greece, arguing that it undermined national interests, had advocated a voter boycott of the referendum. They seized on Sunday’s low turnout as evidence of the agreement’s rejection.

In a televised address, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, a conservative opponent of Zaev’s, described the referendum as a failure and insisted the country deserved to join NATO, and ultimately the European Union, without changing its name.