Nikola Gruevski

[Risto the Great]

No, I am in agreement with you. France is no friend of Macedonia, he is in agreement with France, he is no friend of Macedonia. The media should destroy him over this statement. But they are toothless.

[Pelister]

Why would he go to France? He is empowering everyone to destroy us.

[Rogi]

It's a stupid losing strategy.

1. Gruevski goes to France and speaks to Sarkozy expecting Sarkozy to urge for resolution on name dispute based on compromise.

2. Sarkozy urges for compromise

3. Gruevski responds saying that's what Macedonia is trying to do but Greece makes it hard by not playing by the rules of the Interim Accord.

4. France expresses support for the Interim Accord as a basis for compromise.


All to legitimise the interim accord and strengthen the Interim Accord in order to find a way to stop Greece from breaking the accord with future EU and future NATO veto.

It's not going to work though, because they're ignoring the very simple fact that France made it clear they do not want us to be called Republic of Macedonia. They did so in no uncertain terms. But more importantly than that, legitimising the interim accord and strengthening it works both ways and will come back to bite us.

[Daskalot]

Implications of a Referendum!

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/111493

Implications of a Referendum

Risto Stefov

July 24, 2009


A referendum is an expression of an individual´s ultimate democratic right of choice for deciding issues. But a referendum should never be invoked to solve a problem that has the potential of causing more harm than good.

"Will the Macedonian people, who feel and declare themselves Macedonian, be satisfied if their country´s name is changed?"

"Will Greece be satisfied if the Macedonian people choose to keep the name the way it is, ´unchanged´?"

If the answer to either question is "no" then how will a referendum solve the problem which Greece has "externally" imposed on the Macedonian people?

In finding a "solution" to the name problem, the Gruevski Government has, on several occasions, suggested that a referendum may be invoked to "accept or reject" any "option recommended for a name change".

Given the implications of such a commitment, is a referendum necessarily the best option to solving this problem?

Before even recommending such an option, a number of pertinent questions must be answered!

1. Will Greece accept the results of a referendum if the Macedonian people vote to keep their name the way it is?

If Greece cannot accept the Macedonian people´s will then what would be the point of conducting such a referendum?

2. Will the Macedonian people accept the results of a referendum if the vote is to change the name?

If a segment of the Macedonian population is not ready to accept a name change, which has the potential of destabilizing the country and, in the worst scenario, sparking a civil war, then what would be the purpose of conducting such a referendum? Is the Macedonian Government prepared to deal with a "name change" if it means having to arrest and jail all those patriotic Macedonians who will fight for the right to preserve their identity? And will the Macedonian government be doing this to placate Greece; the very country which claims Macedonians don´t exist?

3. Who will vote in this referendum?

There are several options, each with its own unique problems.

(a) All citizens of Macedonia living inside the Republic of Macedonia including non-Macedonians get to vote.

This option is easy to implement but has a potential of creating new problems as follows;

(i) Not allowing the vast majority of Macedonians living outside the Republic of Macedonia to participate, at best, will cause resentment between Macedonians and at worst, especially if the name is changed, will cause a great division between the Macedonian people in the Republic and those outside. This will not be good for the Macedonian people and will only serve our enemies who wish to further divide us.

(ii) Allowing non-Macedonians to make decisions on Macedonia´s identity will cause resentment.



(b) Only Macedonian citizens who "feel" Macedonian and who live inside the Republic of Macedonia get to vote.

This option is fair to the Macedonians but discriminates against other citizens and puts the non-ethnic Macedonians at a disadvantage!

(c) All Macedonians worldwide including those living inside Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, the USA, Canada, Australia, etc. get a chance to vote in the referendum.

This option will be difficult if not impossible to implement and will produce biased results because everyone who claims to be from Macedonia, including non-Macedonians, will get to vote.

(d) All Macedonians worldwide who "feel" Macedonian including those living inside Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, the USA, Canada, Australia, etc. get to vote in the referendum.

This option too is difficult if not impossible to implement and will also produce biased results because every person (Grkoman and Bulgaroman) who considers him or her self Macedonian but supports Greek or Bulgarian interests will also get to vote in the referendum.

4. What percentage of the people are expected to vote to declare the referendum valid? 50%, 60%, 100%?

If not very close to 100% then how valid is a referendum?

5. What percentage determines a win? 51%, 60%, 75%, 80%?

If the result considered "a win" in this scenario is not more than 80%, a referendum will have destabilizing effects. In other words more than 80% of the people must say "yes" to a "name change" in order for the change to be valid which puts the ratio 80 for change and 20 against. A 51% for example will divide the people into two equally opposing forces and will certainly create potential for destabilization which could result in a civil war.

Even a limited analysis, such as this, shows that a referendum is not a good choice for solving this problem. Why then go through the effort of conducting such a referendum and exposing Macedonia and the Macedonian people to unwarranted dangers that have a potential of doing more harm than good? Why do all this just to placate Greece; a country whose only aim to date has been to destroy the Macedonian identity?

And if Greece gets its wish to have Macedonia´s name changed then what comes next?

The best path for the Macedonian Government to take at this time, in order to avoid problems in the future, is to pull out of the "name talks". Macedonia has nothing to gain and everything to lose by continuing these talks. If Macedonia intends to "give in", even a little now, it will have to "give in" a lot more in the future because Greece will not stop until the Macedonian identity is completely destroyed.

[Daskalot]

The referendum is a trick by the Macedonian government on its own citizens. BEWARE MACEDONIANS WHERE EVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD.

To all Macedonian Patriots: MACEDONIA FOR THE MACEDONIANS! SMRT ILI SLOBODA!

[Soldier of Macedon]

Some very valid points raised, the proposed referendum doesn't seem like a good option at all. We don't need to 're-affirm' anything to anybody. What is the point of a referendum anyway?

[Jankovska]

I am 100% against it and our goverment should lead the country and stay strong not call for a referendum. A referendum will just show the world our goverment believes that the name can be changed and worst of all Albanians will vote and if they do vote for a change it makes all Macedonians look like they are unsure of their name. A referendum is a bad idea plus whhy should we be bullied into it. I used to think highly of Gruevski, think less and less of him now.Every moment he declares on TV he will call for a referendum he let's the world know that he thinks our name can be changed. Our name can not be changed now or ever, that is who we are. We are Macedonians and he should stop playing with fire.

[Risto the Great]

The referendum would be a tool to manipulate the masses. We will not benefit from it and it again represents yet another attack on our sovereign identity.

[NikodimMKD]

I think a referendum is a very good idea because we all know that every Macedonian is against a name change and it will only validate our beliefe that non Macedonians want a name change.

The result will be 85%+ against change name, so we have nothing to fear...

[Soldier of Macedon]

Then what is the point if it is already a foregone conclusion? What are we proving, and to whom? The Greeks? We have nothing to prove, this name was good enough for our grandfathers it is good enough for us.

NikodimMKD, why do you pretend to be a Macedonian?

[Risto the Great]

Nikodim,
If the world wants you to change your name and you don't want to .... why should you have a vote about it. Surely you accept that it is insulting to do this and a blatant attack on our sovereignty.

Now if a historic enemy like Greece is the only reason for going to referendum, koi gi smeta tie govedi?

[Pelister]

Wasn't the first referendum valid? These Macedonian politicians have been indirectly undermining and supplanting our soveriegnty, and our rights - every step of the way.

Its dangerous and reckless, and in this context, would be a tool used by Macedonia's enemies against the people. (Macdonia's greatest enemies in this case, are in the government).

Why not reject Greece, and therefore reject "the talks" on the basis that its position is an attack on our right to exist. The world will understand !

[Soldier of Macedon]

Gruevski needs to reject a 'referendum' on principle alone, it is preposterous to expect a nation to take vote on its identity, even if the result is positive, the mere fact of it taking place will be an insult.

And is the referendum for an international or bi-lateral name?

[Jankovska]

Gruevski needs to reject a 'referendum' on principle alone, it is preposterous to expect a nation to take vote on its identity, even if the result is positive, the mere fact of it taking place will be an insult.

And is the referendum for an international or bi-lateral name?

Spot on!!!!!

[NikodimMKD]

Nikodim,
If the world wants you to change your name and you don't want to .... why should you have a vote about it. Surely you accept that it is insulting to do this and a blatant attack on our sovereignty.

Now if a historic enemy like Greece is the only reason for going to referendum, koi gi smeta tie govedi?

I agree with what you say in principle, BUT...

Macedonia entered voluntarily into the "name negotiations". By entering in these negotiations we have given the Greek argument validity and acceptance.

It was a huge strategic mistake of the political leadership at the time.

And now if we leave the negotiations, we will be seen as the unwilling party.