the Macedonia name dispute

[Revy]

There has been an ongoing dispute between Greece and Macedonia over what name Macedonia should be permitted to call itself. It stems from a battle over history and heritage relating to the ancient kingdom of Macedon/Macedonia, and because there is a region in Greece called Macedonia which is upset that Macedonia is "stealing" their history.

Macedonia was first officially proclaimed as the name for the modern state in 1944, when it became part of the newly formed federation of Yugoslavia. It had already been recognized as a nation by the communists of the Balkans for decades.

126 countries recognize the name "Republic of Macedonia", while others, led by Greece, prefer to use the "neutral" name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM), which is the name used by the UN.

Suggested alternatives include "North Macedonia" and "New Macedonia". Many Greeks prefer to refer to it as "Skopje" by its capital city.

What is your opinion on this dispute, how can it be resolved, and do you lean toward either or neither side?

It seems ridiculous to be regarded as such a huge issue.....

[Axle]

This is just chauvanism on Greece's part. The Greek region named Macedonia borders the Republic of Macedonia, so I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say both areas were probably part of what was once the Kingdom of Macedonia, so both countries have a share of its history.

[Искра]

This is just chauvanism on Greece's part. The Greek region named Macedonia borders the Republic of Macedonia, so I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say both areas were probably part of what was once the Kingdom of Macedonia, so both countries have a share of its history.
That's not true.
History of Macedonian Empire belongs to Greece, since Macedonians were Greek nation.
Today's Macedonia is Slavic and the only thing which connects is with Macedon Empire is geographical position.

But, never the less this is stupid.
I don't care how does Greek imperialist and other States call Macedonia. That's quite unimportant. People of Macedonian have bigger problems but their name. Also, I don't know any person who talks about F.Y.R. Macedonia. We all talk about Macedonia.

[Axle]

That's not true.
History of Macedonian Empire belongs to Greece, since Macedonians were Greek nation.
Today's Macedonia is Slavic and the only thing which connects is with Macedon Empire is geographical position.

But, never the less this is stupid.
I don't care how does Greek imperialist and other States call Macedonia. That's quite unimportant. People of Macedonian have bigger problems but their name. Also, I don't know any person who talks about F.Y.R. Macedonia. We all talk about Macedonia.

Like I said, it was a stab in the dark, but I see that you're actually from that region, so I'll go ahead and trust you know what you're talking about, my knowledge of ancient Greece is pretty limited.

[FSL]

This is an issue stemming mainly from the idiocy of people on both sides of the borders.

Most of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia is located on what today is Greece. Most people in Greece tend to overlook though that since those "golden" days, a few dozen centuries have passed and have brought with them many new peoples, be them Arvanites, Slavs, Jews or whatever. Greece's national "myth" is based upon that past and the heavy heritage we all carry blah blah.

It is equally, if not more funny however, when the people of Fyrom/Macedonia/Skopje claim that the Slavic idiom they speak today was the ancient language of Alexander and even try to prove it with bogus science.

It is not nationalism that pushes either side to obscene claims. No one is suggesting starting a war or anything and both countries stand firm on what is the basis of their national identity. And that means that no side will probably ever back away from their demands.



I don't care how does Greek imperialist and other States call Macedonia. That's quite unimportant. People of Macedonian have bigger problems but their name. Also, I don't know any person who talks about F.Y.R. Macedonia. We all talk about Macedonia.

There are actually concerns here -and not entirely unfounded- that the recognition of a macedonian nation will open the way for minority claims in the area of Florina. There even exists a macedonian party in Greece "Ouranio Toxo" (translates to rainbow) that -claims it- represents said minority. With the United States and most of Europe backing Macedonia in the dispute some think a new Kosovo might be on the way.

[Dimentio]

It is a lot of ethnic chauvinism in this. Ancient Macedonia was the name of a region where a people speaking a Greek dialect lived. The FYRO Macedonia is inhabitated by a Slavic people, which the Greeks claim could never be Macedonians (the ironic thing being that the Greeks considered the Macedonians barbarian during ancient time).

I think its a way for Greek politicians to shovel of popular dissent against some sort of foreign enemy which - unlike Turkey - isn't actually dangerous to quarrel with.

[Outinleftfield]

If you think about it this whole dispute is stupid because they don't really call their country and region the same thing unless Macedonia is the same in Macedonian and Greek. They speak 2 different languages.

Why not just rename the official Macedonian name for the region as a whole to its Greek name leaving the official Macedonian name for the country alone while changing the official Greek name of the country to what it is called in Macedonian? And then do the same thing in all foreign languages?

Then the Macedonians are not calling their country the same as the Greek region since they use 2 different names and the Greeks and all foreigners get to call these 2 things different too.

Don't see why this wouldn't work. Should be flattering for all the other countries to have your official name be the name that you yourself use in your own language.

If putting the name of the region in Greek would offend Macedonia then maybe they should do it in its Esperanto name to avoid making claims of the region belonging to any particular country.

[scarletghoul]

Fucking greece shit pisses me off. why cant they both be called macedonia? there are loads of places that have the same names in the world.

[FSL]

If you think about it this whole dispute is stupid because they don't really call their country and region the same thing unless Macedonia is the same in Macedonian and Greek. They speak 2 different languages.


Macedonia is the (almost the) same in Macedonia and Greece. Something like Makedonija in slavic and Makedonia in Greece



Fucking greece shit pisses me off.why cant they both be called macedonia?


First off, cool story bro.

Secondly


It is not nationalism that pushes either side to obscene claims. No one is suggesting starting a war or anything and both countries stand firm on what is the basis of their national identity. And that means that no side will probably ever back away from their demands.

There are actually concerns here -and not entirely unfounded- that the recognition of a macedonian nation will open the way for minority claims in the area of Florina

[PRC-UTE]

I always wondered why there was a separate country called Macedonia, as I associated that with Greece.

Are Greeks the most nationalist country in Europe...

[yuon]

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that this is a fucking stupid dispute, and that "national identity" is a braindead moronic thing to have a fight over.

This dispute makes no sense to me. Wikipedia says that today the name could refer to three things, the country, the region in Greece, and a broader region including part of Bulgaria. I don't see the Bulgarians getting upset over the name though. Wikipedia also suggests that it might be silly to regard the ancient Macedonian kingdom as actually Greek.

So, thinking about minority claims (I assume land claims). Big deal? If the people in a region don't want to live in your state, fucking well let them leave! (And take the land with them.)

Fucking wankers.

[FSL]

So, thinking about minority claims (I assume land claims). Big deal? If the people in a region don't want to live in your state, fucking well let them leave! (And take the land with them.)

Fucking wankers.


I mentioned there was a party claiming it is representing that minority. You know its level of support?
How do you define region? If a new country came into existence consisting of 2 small villages and a new US military base that is ok?


But as more often than not, we are again dealing with people that would claim that since Milosevic was a murderer foreign intervention did have its merits and since people of Kosovo wanted independence, getting it was right.
Because things must be looked at as shallow as possible in fear of brain being fried.

[Dimitar the Macedonian]

Greece is a fascist state, since the civil war 1946-1949 and destruction of the army of KKE (communist party of Greece), it is important to mention that half of the army of KKE was composed of ethnic Macedonians (in that time large minority in Greece).After the defeat of KKE most of the Macedonians were forced to abandon Greece and escape the terror of the Greek fascistic army.
If Greece recognizes the name of the Republic of Macedonia, the truth will see the daylight and
Greece will have to pay for the genocide over my ancestors.

[Olerud]

Brocedonia ? amirite ?

[Guerrilla22]

Call it Masadoneya, problem solved.