RÉSEAU VOLTAIRE -- The Macedonians reject Nato and EU membership

The Macedonians reject Nato and EU membership

VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 4 OCTOBER 2018 

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On 30 September 2018, the people of Macedonia were invited to respond by referendum to the following question: “Are you in favour of membership of NATO and the EU, accepting by this, the terms of the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Greek Republic ?”.

The agreement with the Greek Republic had been negotiated by the US ambassador to Athens, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, known for organizing the Kiev putsch, with the help of the Nazi party, “Right Sector”. Their thinking is to change the name of the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” to “North Macedonia” and to abandon all historical reference to Alexander the Great.

This conflict over nomenclature goes back to the independence of Greece in 1822, when Athens was set on liberating the whole of Macedonia from Ottoman occupation. Today, what historically was Macedonia, is divided into two parts: a Greek part and an independent part. The memory of Alexander the Great is claimed both by Athens and Skopje which has raised a statue of him riding a horse right in the heart of the capital (see photo). Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle, and was born in the Greek part of Macedonia. He founded an empire blending the East with the West. However for a long time, the Greek imagination cast him as “barbarian” and did not recognize his authority other than that achieved by the use of force.

Alexander the Great’s vision was an empire that respected the different cultures of his subjects (including the Greeks) and allowed the sovereigns who had been conquered to remain in power. In contrast, Nato and the EU are, in the tradition of Julius Caesar, presented as superstructures integrating each of its members in common mandatory values. These two historical models are irreconcilable.

The US Secretary for Defense, General James Mattis, had come to Skopje to ensure the referendum works well. However, no member of government came to welcome him as he got off the plane; only the US ambassador was there to welcome him.

The question posed during the referendum, should Macedonia join Nato and the EU membership, is perfectly logical since the US sees the two structures (one civil and one military) as being two different parts of one elephant. The Macedonian authorities are deeply divided. The Socialists and the Muslims of the government of Zoran Zaev appealed for a “Yes” vote. In contrast, the nationalists and the orthodox majority, which includes the President of the Republic, Gjorge Ivanov, appealed to boycott the ballots.

Only 33.75 % of the electorate has responded “Yes”.

The Atlantic and Western European Press do not play fair and have swept under the carpet the failure of those supporting NATO and EU membership [1]. Deceitfully, they hail the victory of the “Yes” vote. They emphasize that 91.46 % of voters have voted “Yes” and fail to mention that 63.09 % of voters had not voted. Under the Constitution, a referendum must meet a quorum to be valid. It therefore follows that the Electoral Commission must the cancel the result of the referendum.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa

      

[1] “NATO and UE Joint statement on Macedonian Referendum”, Voltaire Network, 1 October 2018.