In Greece, there has been no official reaction from the ministry of foreign affairs on Bulgaria’s veto on the decision to open EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia on 17 November, a move which indirectly also affects Albania, another Western Balkans candidate which has advanced on its EU path in tandem with Skopje, said an analysis carried by EURACTIV.com under the headline “Bulgaria spells out conditions for unblocking North Macedonia’s EU path” on November 17.
While it was in opposition, the ruling New Democracy (EPP) fiercely opposed the name change deal reached between leftist Syriza party and Zaev’s government. But when it took the power the conservative party said it would implement the Prespa agreement.
Meanwhile, three memoranda of understanding with North Macedonia as part of the Prespa Agreement still need to pass through the Greek parliament and it seems that the government has delayed the process, revealed the analysis among others.
Greek media report that New Democracy cannot find a rapporteur to speak positively about the Prespa agreement, as the political cost will be high.
Athens’s reluctance over the issue was also obvious in a joint statement signed on 28 September between the US and Greece.
The draft US-Greece statement referred to a “historic” Prespa Agreement. The English version of the statement was immediately published on the Greek foreign affairs ministry website but the Greek version was not published at all.
“However, a couple of hours later, the word “historic” disappeared from the joint statement posted the website of the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry,” unveiled the analysis./argumentum.al
