The Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, sent a sharp message to Macedonia that the irredentism towards Greece is blocking the country’s European perspective. Talking about the Greek foreign policy at the Economic Chamber of Macedonia, Kotizas stressed that part of the name dispute are the problematic irredentistic tendencies that the country is showcasing with the request of the name Macedonia.
“The problem with the name doesn’t come from a quarrel about someone’s baptizing, but it is connected to the irredentism and this irredentism means even disputing the borders of one region and a country with such irredentism cannot be integrated into modern Europe”, said Kotzias.
The problem with Macedonia and with other Balkan countries, according to Kotizas, is the lack of culture to compromise, both inside the country and in its foreign policy including a lack of understanding of the essence of democracy and the rule that a minority may become a majority. He noted that those who refused to negotiate with Greece about a crucial solution for the name dispute are the same group that don’t want to allow the majority in Macedonian parliament to form a Government.
“A democracy is not only a democracy of the majority. In Ancient Greece, there was a problem when the majority created a mechanism to remain the constant majority without being an actual majority and this can lead to tyranny of the majority”, said Kotzias.
According to him, however, thanks to the confidence-building measures, relations between the two sides has intensified.
