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“The Macedonian president in her public appearances has the right to use the name ‘Macedonia’, as an act of the personal right to self-determination and self-identification, respecting basic human rights and freedoms and in accordance with European values and principles.”
This is stated in the communique issued by the Office of the President of North Macedonia, Gordana Silanovska-Davkova, after the reactions of the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, but also of the European Union regarding the use of the old name of the state during the swearing-in ceremony.
Among other things, the communiqué states that “President Gordana Silanovska-Davkova will adhere to the official use of the constitutional name”. There it is clarified that Davkova signed the solemn oath based on the Constitution of the country, respectively with the constitutional name.
The new president of North Macedonia, Gordana Silanovska-Davkova, on Sunday, May 12, during the oath, did not mention the name North Macedonia, but only Macedonia.
“I swear that I will protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Republic of Macedonia”, Davkova declared while reading the oath as president in front of the deputies of the Assembly of North Macedonia.
Regarding this, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has stated that Athens will not tolerate other “lapses” by the heads of state of North Macedonia, in relation to the obligations they have for the implementation of the Prespa Agreement.
Mitsotakis said that “Greece rejects manipulations like those with which Mrs. Silanovska opened her mandate” and called on her to respect the legal obligations and adhere to the obligations arising from her role as president.
“We declare that we will categorically not accept similar ‘lapses’. And, we repeat that any progress in bilateral relations, as well as every step of Skopje towards Europe, depends on the sincere observance of the agreements, on the fair use of the constitutional name of the neighboring state. And, of course, from avoiding challenges”, the Greek media broadcast a statement by the Greek Prime Minister, Mitsotakis.
In 2018, Skopje and Athens signed what is known as the Prespa Agreement, to change the name from Macedonia to North Macedonia.
This agreement has put an end to the long-standing dispute, paving the way for the country’s efforts to integrate into the EU and NATO.
In relation to the developments triggered by the new president’s oath, the European Union (EU) has also reacted, expressing regret that Gordana Silanovska-Davkova did not use the constitutional name of the state.
“The EU reiterates the importance of fully respecting existing and legally binding agreements, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece,” EU security and foreign policy spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said in a statement on Sunday.
Meanwhile, experts in constitutional issues said that Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, during the swearing in as president of North Macedonia, by using the old name of the state, violated the Constitution.
According to them, she must respect the Constitution and this means that she must use the name of the state, both in speech and in writing.
“In the case of taking the oath, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova acted with double standards. During the reading of the oath, he used the name Macedonia, while he signed the act with the name North Macedonia. This is unacceptable and an unconstitutional action”, a member of the Constitutional Court declared for Radio Free Europe.
Prespa Agreement
The Prespa Agreement from the Macedonian side was signed by former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the Government led by him. The government that followed, led by former Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski (also from the Social Democratic League like Zaev), has fully respected the obligations of this agreement, using the name North Macedonia.
The agreement with Greece has continuously been opposed by VMRO DPMNE, which in the elections of April 24 and May 8 convincingly won the presidential and parliamentary elections, while its leaders have on several occasions repeated that in internal and international communication they will use the old name of the state.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, headed by the outgoing minister, Bujar Osmani, has called for international agreements to be respected. This ministry called for vigilance on the part of political actors, especially, as he points out, from the newly elected state.
“During the last seven years, both neighboring countries have developed an extremely high level of political dialogue, which has resulted in a multifold increase in economic cooperation and the building of positive people-to-people relations. These benefits resulted from the country’s membership in NATO, the opening of negotiations with the European Union, as well as the improvement of the strategic partnership in a strategic dialogue with the United States.
“We call for vigilance from all political actors, especially the elected representatives of the state. Maintaining the country’s Euro-Atlantic course represents a fundamental strategic interest and is a guarantor of the country’s long-term security and stability”, says the reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs North Macedonia.
Based on the Prespa Agreement, North Macedonia is obliged to implement the new name of the state, both in domestic and international use.
