The countdown has begun for Macedonia's referendum on changing the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia. A name change would pave the way for the former Yugoslav republic to join NATO and the EU.
Image: picture-alliance/Anadolu Agency/B. Ademi
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Macedonia's parliament on Monday approved plans to hold a referendum on changing the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia.
In a vote that was boycotted by Conservative opponents, 68 lawmakers in the 120-seat assembly backed the proposal by Social Democrat Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. The vote is to take place on September 30.
The name change would allow the former Yugoslav republic to resolve its long-running dispute with neighboring Greece and join NATO and the European Union.
The parliamentary approval follows a landmark agreement between Skopje and Athens in June, when the two countries agreed to rename the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in an effort to break the stalemate that has afflicted their relations since 1991.
Athens has objected to its neighbor being called Macedonia because it has a northern province by the same name, and is concerned it may imply territorial ambitions.
The dispute has so far stymied Macedonia's efforts to join the NATO and the EU, where Greece enjoys a veto power.
The proposed name change has triggered protests in both countries, with Macedonian nationalists calling it an assault on the country's identity.
The referendum question approved on Monday does not spell out the new name but underscores the government's ambitions of stronger ties with the West.
On September 30, the public will be asked: "Are you for EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?"
"The question is ambiguous and multifaceted, and above all manipulative," said Igor Janusev, a leading member of the nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE party.
If Macedonians do vote for the name change and the parliament amends the constitution, Greece's lawmakers will then have to ratify the accord.
Macedonia and Greece resolved a long standing conflict over the name Macedonia. It is not the first time in history that the name of a country has been the reason for conflict. Here are a few more examples.
Image: picture-alliance/Kyodo/MAXPPP
The Republic of Northern Macedonia
For decades Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) had a contentious relationship over the name. When Yugoslavia broke up Macedonia declared its independence and took the name Republic of Macedonia, Greece objected as its northern region is also called Macedonia. In 2018, the two countries settled the dispute and Macedonia is now known as The Republic of Nothern Macedonia.
Image: Reuters/A. Avramidis
The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
The Irish have long had a contentious relationship with the United Kingdom. While Ireland was for centuries part of the UK, the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 gave Ireland complete independence in its home affairs but an opt-out clause allowed Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/N. Carson
Islands worth going to war over
The islands in the southern Atlantic have had French, British, Spanish and Argentinian settlements. The British refer to the archipelago as the Falkland Islands and reasserted its rule over them in 1833. Argentina maintains that the islands are called the Islas Malvinas and are a part of its territory. In 1982, Argentina invaded the islands until a British force retook the territories.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Senkau or Diaoyu?
The small group of islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea has long been a sore point between Japan and China. China claims it discovered what it calls the Diaoyu islands in the 14th century. After World War II, the US administered the island but returned control to Japan in 1972. With the discovery of oil reserves in 1968, ownership is now once again an issue.
