Macedonia’s president won’t agree to change country’s name

MACEDONIA’S president said yesterday that he would not sign off on a historic deal that would change the country’s name, the most potentially disruptive reaction so far to the agreement with Greece that has received diverging reactions in both countries.

Gjorge Ivanov said the agreement, which would rename Macedonia as the Republic of North Macedonia, gave too many concessions to Greece.

The deal, reached by the two countries’ prime ministers, is expected to be signed by their foreign ministers this weekend. After that, Macedonia’s parliament would vote on it, and if it is approved, Mr Ivanov’s signature would be needed.

If the president refuses to sign, the deal would return to parliament for another vote. Mr Ivanov would be forced to sign off on the agreement if it passed a second time.

The name dispute, which has prevented Macedonia from joining international institutions such as Nato, has roused strong nationalist sentiments and poisoned the two countries’ relations since the Balkan country declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Greece argues that the term “Macedonia” implies a claim on the territory and ancient heritage of its own northern province of the same name – the birthplace of Alexander the Great.

New calls were circulating yesterday on social media for renewed street protests on both sides of the border, with opponents on both sides arguing that their prime ministers conceded too much to reach the deal. In Macedonia, Zoran Zaev has said he will put the deal to a referendum in the autumn. Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, also faces opposition at home.

Panos Kammenos, the Greek defence minister, whose Right-wing Independent Greeks party is the coalition partner in Tsipras’s government, said he would oppose an agreement in a parliamentary vote.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the head of Greece’s main opposition New Democracy party, described the agreement as “deeply problematic” and called on Greece’s president to intervene so the deal could be debated in parliament before it is signed, instead of after.

The agreement should pave the way for the former Yugoslav republic to begin the process of acceding to Nato and the European Union, and was welcomed by international officials.