The newly inaugurated President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, referred to the country as ‘Macedonia‘ during her swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, in apparent violation of the Prespa Treaty.
In protest, the Greek ambassador in Skopje, Sofia Filippidou, left the ceremony. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in a statement that the report is a “gross violation” of both the Prespa Agreement and the Constitution of North Macedonia.
The dispute between Greece and North Macedonia was resolved in 2018 when the two countries signed the Prespa Agreement, adopting the name “North Macedonia” constitutionally. As a result of the Agreement, Greece paved the way for North Macedonia to join NATO and the EU.
Siljanovska, a candidate from the VMRO-DPMNE coalition, made history by becoming the first female president of the Republic, securing 69% of the vote.
This agreement was signed by the SYRIZA government and the then center-left government of North Macedonia against the wishes of the center-right faction, which later elected the current president of the Republic.
The reference to the country as “Macedonia” provoked reactions from the Commission’s president and the Greek Prime Minister.
“For North Macedonia to continue its successful path towards an EU membership, it is of the utmost importance that the country continues its reform course and fully respects its binding agreements, including the Prespa Agreement,” stated Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his statement, criticized the new president’s “provocative” decision to violate the official text of her oath, warning North Macedonia of a potential veto in its EU accession process if it fails to uphold the Prespa Agreement.
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