Macedonia and the European Union

[TerraNova]

Originally Posted by Thorvald

You are very right.

Although I welcome the participating of Macedonia within Europe, but it should be rightious use its officially name Republic of Macedonia.

Iam afraid the Greek lobby in Europe will block the name use for a very, very long time.

I think what would be a great step in benefiting Macedonia, is if in Western Europe, especially in Germany, Holland and the UK some kind of an organisation could be established were Macedonians and West-Europeans participating in promoting the Macedonian right on use its name; a some kind of Macedonian friendship alliance.

Not all Western Europeans is buying the Greek propaganda falsified crap

Yes ..ok.But you cannot convince anyone as a "Western European"

[Soldier of Macedon]

But a Western European can convince Christian Vlachs, Slavs and Albanians in Morea that they are 'Hellenes', like your Papou Veeeeron!

[Dimko-piperkata]

19 March 2009, 14:42 CET

(SKOPJE) - Macedonia votes Sunday in presidential and local elections seen as a key test of its ambitions of eventual membership in the European Union and NATO.

Here is a fact-file about the Balkan country:

NAME: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the name under which it was admitted to the United Nations to soothe Athens's objections and distinguish it from the Greek province of Macedonia.

In April 2008, Greece used its veto to block an invitation for Skopje to join NATO and has been threatening to prevent Macedonia's integration into the EU.

GEOGRAPHY: Macedonia, which is landlocked, is bounded to the north by Serbia, to the east by Bulgaria, to the south by Greece and to the west by Albania. The country is mostly on a plateau about 760 metres (2,500 feet) high. The central Vardar valley is the only lowland. The climate is continental.

Area: 25,333 square kilometres (9,928 square miles).

CAPITAL: Skopje.

POPULATION: Out of 2.2 million inhabitants, 64.2 percent are Macedonians, 25.2 Albanians, 3.8 percent are Turks, 2.7 percent are Roma and 2.2 percent are Serbs, according to a 2003 census.

RELIGION: Macedonian Orthodox 67 percent, Sunni Islam 30 percent.

HISTORY: Macedonia's past is closely linked to Byzantine and Turkish history until the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, after which the geographic region of Macedonia was divided among Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria.

Following World War II, Macedonia became one of the six republics making up the Yugoslav federation. On September 8, 1991, Macedonia proclaimed its independence.

A seven-month ethnic Albanian insurgency in 2001 ended after a peace accord was brokered by the international community, giving more civil and political rights to Albanians.

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: Elections to the 120-member national assembly are held at least every four years.

The president, who serves a five-year term, appoints a prime minister and a cabinet of ministers.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski was re-elected in July 2008.

ECONOMY: Still largely agricultural -- sheep, cattle, cereals and tobacco. Rich mineral resources including iron, zinc, lead, copper and chromium support industrial production in steel and chemicals.

Unemployment: 35.2 percent in 2008.

GDP per capita : 4,683 dollars in 2008.

ARMED FORCES: Professional army of 7,000 soldiers.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237465022.72

[Sarafot]

European Parliament rapporteur on Macedonia Erik Meijer has asked the European Commission for confirmation whether generally accepted terms "Macedonians" and "Macedonian" and country code "MK" have been replaced with designation "to be defined", reports Deutsche Welle in Macedonian Language.

Meijer asked whether the EC takes into account that, "creation of such uncertain situation spreads the row into new fields, which are very sensitive, since they go into the national identity and become impossible to solve".

"I was informed that word 'Macedonian' would not be used anymore in EU's official terminology, as practiced until 2008. This was the reason why I asked for an official explanation from the European Commission. The Commission's response is that there is no change, and we are in a crazy situation that will not result in consequences for the EU, but makes Greece content", says MEP Meijer.

In the EC response, president Jose Manuel Barroso confirms it is true they used standard names until recently, but a decision was passed in the summer of 2008 to change this. Thus, in the interinstitutional style guide, released by the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, term "Macedonian" and international code "MK" have been replaced with "to be defined". The Commission has confirmed that all references in documents and publications were in strict compliance with Resolution 817/93 of the UN Security Council.

According to Meijer, the Commission has given a symbolic gift to satisfy Greece when denying the use of word "Macedonian" about the language and the people.

"There is no 'fyrom' people or 'fyrom' language, only Macedonian", stressed the Dutch MEP.

Meijer also expresses concerns about the delay of the date for beginning of EU accession talks for Macedonia, despite European Parliament recommendations, assessing that the Greek opposition could last for years.

"I am big pessimist, since enlargement is not a priority at the moment. The public opinion is against and governments of member-states are happy that they have more time to decide. Enlargement is not a priority for the European Council. On the other hand, the Greek opposition on the beginning of Macedonia's accession talks could last for years. Although majority of the European Parliament supported my proposal, reality will be quite different", underlines MEP Erik Meijer. //04.02.09 MINa

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/6201/45/

[TrueMacedonian]

http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum...ead.php?t=1038

If you read the link above you will see why the euro-trash will help assist in this ethnocide.

[TrueMacedonian]

I also want to bring up a post by RTG from the Maknews forum that talks about ethnocide - http://www.maknews.com/forum/human-r...ide-t8401.html

[Risto the Great]

"I am big pessimist, since enlargement is not a priority at the moment. The public opinion is against and governments of member-states are happy that they have more time to decide. Enlargement is not a priority for the European Council. On the other hand, the Greek opposition on the beginning of Macedonia's accession talks could last for years. Although majority of the European Parliament supported my proposal, reality will be quite different", underlines MEP Erik Meijer.

We know that enlargement is the furthest thing on their minds.
The grass might be greener somewhere else ... why does Macedonia continue jumping through hoops in order to satisfy these bastards?

[osiris]

our disapointment in being excluded may turn out to be a blessing in disguise in the near future, the eu remnds me of the wankers who built the titanic, pompous twats who dont realise they are only humans and not self appointed divinities.

i am glad to see however that ther are still a few real humans left within the eu parliament who understand that the first nation state in europe from which their models for nationhood are all derived is not fyrom but makedonia.

[Risto the Great]

Indeed Osiris.
Here is confirmation of your statement:
http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/6217/2/

Lack of membership invitation for Macedonia is not only a failure of the country, but also of NATO, assessed participants at the debate of the Western European Union (WEU) Assembly, held in the German Bundestag, in light of the jubilee Alliance summit, reports Radio Deutsche Welle-Program in Macedonian Language.

European MPs and experts debated whether the 60th NATO jubilee is truly a successful story, taking into account the accession of two new members (Croatia and Albania), but without Macedonia.

"The absence of membership invitation is not only a failure for Macedonia, but also for the European Union and NATO. I paid a visit to Macedonia together with the German Defense Minister prior to the Bucharest summit, and I regret that the country has not become a member just because of the Greek obstruction, despite the fact that cooperation with Greece in the sectors of economy and energy is good", said Social-Democrat Gerd Hoefer, chairman of the German delegation within the WEU Assembly.

Alexander Siedschlag from the Vienna Center for European Security Studies referred to the issue whether putting Macedonia in the NATO waiting room indefinitely is a success for the Alliance, saying that the answer depends on how the organization sees itself and what it wants.

"If it promotes the image of transatlantic organization, which tries to present the old classical values of European civilization, human and civil rights, defend cultural values, then NATO without Macedonia - the cradle of European culture - is incomplete", stated Siedschlag.

According to him, a solution is not possible unless Greece agrees, because NATO acts upon the classical principle of consensus. However, he reminded on the reality in certain political organizations, in the interest of the decision-making process.

"The majority can pass decisions on certain issues. There are organizations, OSCE for example, where the formula 'consensus minus one' is applied. Decisions can sometimes be adopted with one vote against. Such a principle can also be applied in the NATO context", underlined Siedschlag.

[osiris]

so risto we do have some freinds in germany amongst the social democrats and the greens. thanks mate for posting that. i think we also have support in denmark and holland. i am sending the Siedschlag an email of gratitude right now.