The rift between Athens and Skopje deepened after North Macedonia's Prime Minister-elect Hristijan Mickoski said he would refrain from verbally using the country's constitutional name - ie. without the geographical name "Severna" - in violation of the Prespa Agreement.
He even called on Athens to turn to the International Court of Justice if it believes that the Prespa Agreement is not being respected, writes Kathimerini.
Mickoski, chairman of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE, stressed that his ruling party will use the constitutional name in communication within the institutions and between them, but in its statements or speeches it will retain its "individual right" to use the terms "Macedonia and Macedonian" ".
Also, speaking for the Greek government, he said that "neither we nor they like this agreement" and expressed his expectation to meet with Mitsotakis.
The ruling New Democracy has expressed its opposition to the 2019 agreement when it was the opposition party. However, she has repeatedly stated that she will support the agreement.
For his part, Mitsotakis noted in an interview with Skai television on May 16 that the three memorandums of understanding related to the agreement would not be ratified by parliament, while noting that the attitude of the new leadership in Skopje would have an impact on the European perspective of the North Macedonia.
"We will not ratify the memorandums from Prespa until we are convinced that the other side is complying with [the agreement]," he said, responding, among other things, to a call by the opposition SYRIZA to do so.
"We were absolutely right not to submit the memorandums [to parliament for ratification]. We understood that another government would come [to Skopje]," Mitsotakis said. Recalling the ND's disagreements about the Prespa Agreement, he said that it contained the "aggressive name 'Macedonian'".
"Any deviation from the implementation of the agreement will have serious consequences for our relations and for the European course of the Republic of North Macedonia", he stressed.
Mickoski's position was expected by Athens, as it is obvious that the chairman of VMRO-DPMNE is in full agreement with the president of North Macedonia Gordana Silyanovska-Davkova. It is assumed that the inflammatory statements coming from Skopje will continue, given that 2025 is also the year of municipal elections in the neighboring country./BGNES
