Referendums: Macedonian Parliament opens way for change of name

Stand: 11:29 | Reading time: 3 minutes

MWith a slight majority, the Macedonian parliament paved the way for a change of name of the country "Republic of Macedonia of the North". After days of debate, 80 of the 120 delegates voted Friday night for the controversial name change, which must end a dispute of more than a decade with Greece. To achieve the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's government also needed the support of the opposition.

"I can confirm that the Parliament approved the government's proposal with 80 votes in favor," Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said at the end of the vote. The parliamentary vote is a first step towards the settlement of the name conflict with Greece. The constitutional amendments will now be formulated and will then have to be approved again by the members.

After the vote, Zaev thanked "all the deputies, and especially the deputies of the VMRO-DPMNE, who placed the interests of the state above the personal interests and interests of their parties". The two-thirds majority of the head of government also depended on the vote of the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE opposition party. Seven of their deputies finally voted for the name change.

In a non-binding referendum held in late September, more than 90% of Macedonian citizens voted in favor of the name change, but only one-third of voters voted.

Behind the dispute with Greece, Athens fears that the neighboring state claims the country name Macedonia on the northern province of Greece, Macedonia. Because of the conflict, Greece has so far blocked the inclusion of the former Yugoslav Republic in the European Union and in NATO. For this reason, the country traded under the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, abbreviated FYROM.

The constitutional amendment does not only provide for a new state name for Macedonia. It is also about ensuring the territorial integrity of neighboring countries and asserting that support for foreign Macedonians is "culturally, economically and socially", but not politically.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn called the service Twitter short messages "great day for democracy". He expects the decision of all MPs to be respected, especially those who voted against their political side.

In a joint statement, Hahn and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on officials in Macedonia to present the amendments to the constitution "without delay". Macedonia has "the unique opportunity" to move the country towards the EU.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who agreed to change Zaev's name in June, congratulated his colleague from Skopje. Parliament's vote was a "big step towards our mutual success," Tsipras tweeted. The parliament in Athens must also accept the agreement.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed the vote. He called on Macedonian politicians on Twitter to complete the process of changing the name, "seizing the historic opportunity to bring the country into NATO".