After only ten days from the formation of the quisling Government, the Macedonian public can clearly see that Zaev’s key “reform” that will really bring a “new life” will be the name change. We are yet to see what else would this reform bring as consequences for the Macedonian identity and the national interests of the state. Zaev’s willingness to give up the name of the state in exchange for joining NATO, which part of the public close to SDS still does not want to see, has been clearly and loudly announced by several world renowned newspapers as an introduction to the final resolution of the longstanding dispute between Macedonia and Greece.
The Guardian, The Financial Times and The Times simultaneously published almost identical texts with the same messages that “Macedonia is ready to change its name to join NATO”.
As a reminder, Londonbased The Times wrote that “Macedonia is considering new proposals for the name in an attempt to unlock Greek opposition to NATO membership”. Earlier, The Guardian published a text with almost identical points, stressing that Macedonia and Greece appear close to settling the 27year dispute over the name. According to the same paper, the mooted name changes have included adding geographic qualifiers such as “upper”, “new” or “northern” Macedonia.
At the same time, the Financial Times published an interview with Nikola Dimitrov entitled “Macedonia considers changing its name to join NATO”. Only a few hours later, after the text caused a volcano of reactions in Macedonia, the paper changed the title “Macedonia considers using provisional name to join Nato”.
Unlike what we read in the British media these days, Zaev and the gang that controls the Government sell us a story that they will bring the country into NATO under the provisional reference.
The media propaganda of such popular papers works in sync with the steps of the “deep state” to complete the project. The goal is to prepare the ground in the public, denying the responsibility of the entire international community for the shameful pressure for violent change of the name of a small country and biblical people. They take the story in the direction that the Macedonians themselves wanted to change their name to join the EU and NATO amid accusations of Russian interference across the Balkan region.
Meanwhile, while Zaev persistently lies the Macedonian public that he will bring the state into NATO under the provisional reference, Brussels and NATO have sent clear messages that the only way for quick accession to the North Atlantic Alliance is a compromise solution. That was more explicitly explained by Athens, saying that without name change, we cannot hope for EU and NATO membership. In other words, nothing new from what we have known so far – the only way to join NATO is Zaev’s recipe – to “bend on” and accept the conditions of Greece, which will completely diminish the dignity of the Macedonian people and its fundamental right to choose how the name of its state will be called. It is obvious that the differences in attitudes that are being sent out by both sides are enormous, and therefore the euphoric optimism of the government that we are ahead of historical success and a step to resolve the 30year dispute is quite confusing. The question that arises from the situation is what the world knows, but the Macedonians do not know, and what did Zaev promise to the international community, but hides it from the people?
It is a big dilemma whether in the negotiations Zaev is a factor at all, or is his only task is to put a signature on an agreement that the foreigners will prepare? Soon we will get answers to these questions, even during the summer, given the fact that the head of the US Department of State Rex Tylerson is personally interested in ending the crisis in Macedonia and in the regional stability of the entire Balkans. Republika’s diplomatic sources inform that Tilerson is expected to come to Macedonia in July or September, and the purpose of the visit will be precisely Macedonia’s name and membership in NATO. What messages will be brought by the State Department’s first man from Washington so far is not known, but it is more than clear that a lot of dilemmas about the reasons for the violent change of the previous government and the installation of Zaev in the prime minister position will be cleared.
