2018 Macedonian referendum

Last updated

2018 Macedonian referendum
Flag of North Macedonia.svg
30 September 2018
Are you in favour of European Union and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?
OutcomeProposal not validated as voter turnout was below 50%
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svgYes609,42794.18%
Light brown x.svgNo37,6875.82%
Valid votes647,11497.11%
Invalid or blank votes19,2302.89%
Total votes666,344100.00%
Registered voters/turnout1,806,33636.89%
 Referendum Mazedonien 2018 Ja-Stimmen.svg
Results by municipality

A referendum was held in the Republic of Macedonia on 30 September 2018, with voters asked whether they supported EU and NATO membership by accepting the Prespa Agreement between Macedonia and Greece, signed in June 2018, which aimed to settle the 27-year naming dispute, [1] [2] which had prevented Macedonia from joining both the European Union and NATO. [3] Despite 94% of voters voting in favour, voter turnout was around 37%, less than the 50% threshold required to validate the results. [4]

Contents

Both the opposition and government claimed victory, with the opposition claiming that the proposal had been rejected by virtue of the low turnout and the government argued that the result being non-binding meant the turnout requirement was irrelevant. As the referendum was non-binding and included constitutional changes, it also had to be ratified by two-thirds of the Assembly of the Republic. [5] Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev vowed to push forward with the changes in the Assembly, [6] which was achieved on 19 October 2018, when 80 of the 120 MPs voted in favour of the renaming proposal, narrowly reaching the two-thirds majority required.

Background

After the independence of the Republic of Macedonia from SFR Yugoslavia in 1991, successive Greek governments claimed that the name of the country implied territorial claims to the Greek part of the region of Macedonia and objected to the use of "Macedonia" by the newly independent state. The state was admitted to the United Nations in 1993 with the provisional reference "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", [7] while most countries recognised the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name.

Repeated attempts to negotiate a composite name failed for almost three decades. However, in 2018, high-level contacts between the governments of the two countries intensified, with Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Bujar Osmani visiting Athens for name talks on 9 January, [8] and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev meeting with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland on 24 January. [9] [10] [11] At the Davos meeting, the first of its kind in seven years, there appeared to be some resolution between the two leaders to end the name dispute and improve the relations between the two countries. Zaev agreed to take initiatives that would soothe Greek concerns over the antiquisation policy, while Tsipras agreed to consent to Macedonia's bid to join regional initiatives or agreements.

On 12 June 2018, Tsipras announced that he had reached an agreement with Zaev "which covers all the preconditions set by the Greek side." [12] The negotiations would result in the Republic of Macedonia being renamed the Republic of North Macedonia, with the new name being used for all purposes. [13] Zaev announced that the agreement included recognition of the Macedonian language in the United Nations and that the term used for nationality of the country would be Macedonian/citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia. [14] [15] "The agreement once and for always confirms and strengthens the Macedonian ethnic and cultural identity, the Macedonian language, the Macedonian nationality. It guarantees the security of the country and provides a secure future for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia", Zaev said. [16] Additionally, the agreement stipulates removal of the Vergina Sun from public use in the Republic of Macedonia and formation of a committee for the review of school textbooks and maps in both countries for the removal of irredentist content and to align them with UNESCO and Council of Europe's standards. [17] The agreement was signed at Lake Prespa, a body of water shared between Albania, Greece and North Macedonia from which it got its name.

The agreement stipulated that the Macedonian government could hold a referendum on the matter. The Assembly of the Republic paved the way for the referendum by ratifying the agreement for a second time in early July. [18] After a month long delay by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE to slow down the referendum preparation by not appointing members to the State Election Commission, the Assembly finally agreed as of the end of July on a new composition. [19] [20] The Assembly set aside 1.3 million euros for the referendum campaign and as the VMRO-DPMNE opposition refused to participate and access funds, only 900,000 euros was spent on 66 media outlets by politicians supporting a yes vote. [21]

Political scientist Biljana Vankovska claimed that the referendum was unconstitutional, noting that Article 73 of the constitution required referendums to be binding. [22]

Question

The text of the question put to voters was:

Are you in favour of European Union and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece? [23]

Campaign

Support

Pro-EU referendum billboard in Debar, in Albanian. Translated it reads: The EU helps Macedonia with 260,000 euros a day. Together for a European Macedonia. Pro Macedonian referendum billboard 2018.jpg
Pro-EU referendum billboard in Debar, in Albanian. Translated it reads: The EU helps Macedonia with 260,000 euros a day. Together for a European Macedonia.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the government coalition started an online campaign for a “Yes” vote in the referendum. Many high-ranked officials and EU leaders expressed their support for the "Yes" option as it would bring Macedonia closer to EU and NATO. Among those who visited the country in support of the referendum are Angela Merkel and Sebastian Kurz, [24] [25] Chancellors of Germany and Austria respectively, as well as Jim Mattis, [26] the US Defense Secretary, and Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, [27] who encouraged the people of Macedonia to vote in favor of the new name. [28] The Albanian President Ilir Meta, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati also urged Albanians in Macedonia to support the deal and vote “Yes” in the referendum. [29] [30] [31] In Macedonia, Albanian political parties and their leaders Ali Ahmeti (DUI), Menduh Thaçi (DPA), Bilall Kasami (Besa Movement) and Ziadin Sela (Alliance for Albanians) supported the “Yes” vote. [32]

Objections and boycotts

Banners and posters of the boycott movement Bojkotiram opposite to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia in Skopje, three days after the referendum Banners Bojkotiram movement.jpg
Banners and posters of the boycott movement Bojkotiram opposite to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia in Skopje, three days after the referendum
Macedonian referendum boycott poster in Struga. Translated it reads: Who gave you the right to change our name and identity? Our name is Macedonia #I will boycott Macedonian referendum boycott poster 2018.jpg
Macedonian referendum boycott poster in Struga. Translated it reads: Who gave you the right to change our name and identity? Our name is Macedonia #I will boycott

The main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE threatened to boycott the referendum and claimed the Prespa agreement to be an act of treason. However, in early September, VMRO-DPMNE president Hristijan Mickoski made a statement encouraging citizens to vote as they saw fit, and that the party would respect different opinions. [33] The party did not participate in the referendum campaign, while several high ranking party members voiced their support for a boycott or the "Yes" side. It was reported in early September that a leaked diplomatic cable from the US embassy in the Republic of Macedonia showed that the 2008 VMRO-DPMNE government was willing to accept the name Republic of North Macedonia, for international and bilateral use only, provided it included the recognition of the Macedonian language and nationality. [34] The proposal had been rejected by Greece. [35] This was denied by media close to the party, [36] [37] which stated that VMRO-DPMNE was only willing to accept changing the FYROM reference to North Macedonia, while keeping the constitutional name the same. On 23 September, President Gjorge Ivanov, who was elected as the VMRO-DPMNE candidate, decried the agreement and called on citizens to boycott the vote. Various other small anti-Western organizations[ which? ] with pro-Serbian and pro-Russian orientations organized protests against the name change. [38]

Among the Macedonian diaspora, a majority of Macedonians living in Australia stated that they would boycott the vote. [39]

Russian interference

Various diplomats and analysts, [40] including U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, [41] have accused Russia of engaging in a campaign to undermine the referendum. Russia is opposed to any additional countries joining NATO or the European Union. [42] Thousands of fake Twitter and Facebook accounts urged Macedonians to boycott the vote. [40] Some Facebook postings asked "are you going to let Albanians change your name?", attempting to exploit ethnic divisions in the country. [43] The "No" lobby banked on a boycott that could render the referendum result meaningless. [41] Two Russian diplomats were expelled from Greece due to accusations of attempting to undermine relations with Macedonia, [40] and a year earlier Russian citizens were arrested related to a failed coup in Montenegro attempting to prevent that country from joining NATO. [42]

Opinion polls

Date(s) conductedYesNoUndecidedWill not voteError marginSampleConducted byMethod
28 June – 15 July 201849%22%13%16%± 3.0%1100 respondents aged 18 and over IRI Face-to-face interviews
24 July – 1 August 201841.5%35.1%9.2%12.4%± 3.1%1026 likely voters MCIC Computer-assisted telephone interview

Results

Turnout in the quota referendum by municipalities Referendum Mazedonien Beteiligung.svg
Turnout in the quota referendum by municipalities

While the vote in favour of the referendum question reached 94.18%, total turnout reached only 36.89% with 666,344 votes cast, well below the 50% par for the referendum to be valid. [44] Despite the traditional pro-EU and NATO stance of the Albanian minority, and its support of Premier Zaev's government, turnout in the 15 predominantly ethnic Albanian municipalities was only marginally lower than in the previous local election with 233,000 votes cast. [45] [46] [47]

ChoiceVotes%
For609,42794.18
Against37,6875.82
Total647,114100.00
Valid votes647,11497.11
Invalid/blank votes19,2302.89
Total votes666,344100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,806,33636.89
Source: SEC

Reactions

Western leaders welcomed the result as positive, despite the low turnout. The European Union's Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, called the "Yes" vote "very significant" and urged Macedonia's political leaders to "respect this decision and take it forward with utmost responsibility". NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, in his post on Twitter described the referendum as a "historic opportunity", while reaffirming that "NATO’s door is open" for Macedonia. The United States also welcomed the outcome, with the State Department urging Macedonian lawmakers "to rise above partisan politics and seize this historic opportunity" in implementing the Prespa agreement, which could enable Macedonia to become "a full participant in Western institutions". [48] Greece's Foreign Ministry welcomed the positive result, but described it as "contradictory" to the low vote turnout, [49] and the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras phoned his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev right after the referendum to congratulate him for the positive outcome. [50]

Russia, a staunch opponent of Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration, on the other hand, hinted that it could veto the Prespa agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece, by bringing it to the United Nations Security Council. Macedonia dismissed Moscow's threats by stating that bilateral agreements cannot be dependent on the Security Council. [51] [52]

Aftermath

On 19 October 2018, the Assembly voted to start the process of renaming the country Republic of North Macedonia. A total of 80 deputies in the 120-seat Assembly voted in favour of the renaming proposal, just reaching the two-thirds majority needed to enact constitutional changes. [53] On 3 December 2018, the Assembly approved a draft constitutional amendment, with 67 voting in favour, 23 voting against and 4 abstaining. A simple majority was needed at this stage. [54]

The decisive vote to amend the constitution and change the name of the country was passed on 11 January 2019 in favor of the amendment. [55] On 25 January 2019, the Greek Parliament approved the Prespa agreement with 153 votes in favor and 146 votes against. [56] The international community, including the Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau of Canada and Boyko Borisov of Bulgaria, President Hashim Thaçi of Kosovo, the President of the EU, Donald Tusk, the President of EU's Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, Germany's and Albania's foreign Ministers, Heiko Maas and Ditmir Bushati respectively, as well as NATO's chief Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed positively the ratification of the deal. [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of North Macedonia</span> Political system of North Macedonia

Politics in North Macedonia occur within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated North Macedonia a "flawed democracy" in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of North Macedonia</span> Overview of the foreign relations of North Macedonia

The foreign relations of North Macedonia since its independence in 1991 have been characterized by the country's efforts to gain membership in international organizations such as NATO and the European Union and to gain international recognition under its previous constitutional name, overshadowed by a long-standing, dead-locked dispute with neighboring Greece. Greek objections to the country's name had led to it being admitted to the United Nations and several other international fora only under the provisional designation Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until its official and erga omnes renaming to North Macedonia, a name under which it is now universally recognised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMRO-DPMNE</span> Macedonian political party

The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity is a political party in North Macedonia and one of the two major parties in the country, the other being the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of North Macedonia</span> Head of state of North Macedonia

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia is the head of state of North Macedonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Prespa</span> Lake in South-eastern Europe

The Lake Prespa is located on the tripoint of Albania, Greece, and North Macedonia. It is a system of two lakes separated by an isthmus: the Great Prespa Lake, divided between the three countries, and the Little Prespa Lake, mostly within Greece. They are the highest tectonic lakes in the Balkans, at an elevation of 853 metres (2,799 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikola Gruevski</span> Sixth prime minister of North Macedonia

Nikola Gruevski is a former Macedonian politician who served as Prime Minister of Macedonia from 2006 until his resignation, which was caused by the 2016 Macedonian protests, and led the VMRO-DPMNE party from 2004 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macedonia naming dispute</span> Dispute between Greece and North Macedonia (1991–2019)

The use of the country name "Macedonia" was disputed between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia between 1991 and 2019. The dispute was a source of instability in the Western Balkans for 25 years. It was resolved through negotiations between the two countries, mediated by the United Nations, resulting in the Prespa Agreement, which was signed on 17 June 2018. Pertinent to its background is an early 20th-century multifaceted dispute and armed conflict that formed part of the background to the Balkan Wars. The specific naming dispute, although an existing issue in Yugoslav–Greek relations since World War II, was reignited after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the newly-gained independence of the former Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1991. Since then, it was an ongoing issue in bilateral and international relations until it was settled with the Prespa agreement in June 2018, the subsequent ratification by the Macedonian and Greek parliaments in late 2018 and early 2019 respectively, and the official renaming of Macedonia to North Macedonia in February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Tsipras</span> Prime Minister of Greece (2015; 2015–2019)

Alexis Tsipras is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2015 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Macedonian autonomy referendum</span>

An autonomy referendum was held in North Macedonia on 7 November 2004. Voters were asked whether they approved of overturning the municipal redistricting plans that gave greater autonomy to ethnic Albanians following the Ohrid Agreement that ended the 2001 conflict between ethnic Albanian militants and the predominantly ethnic Macedonian government forces. These had been changed to give ethnic Albanians greater control in districts where they had significant presence and gives local authorities greater control over education, health and development. It also reduced the number of municipalities from 123 to 84.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Macedonia–NATO relations</span> Bilateral relations

North Macedonia is a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In 1995, the country joined the Partnership for Peace. It then began taking part in various NATO missions, including the International Security Assistance Force and the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. At the 2008 Bucharest summit, Greece vetoed the country's invitation to join; however, NATO member states agreed that the country would receive an invitation upon resolution of the Macedonia naming dispute. Following an agreement in June 2018 to rename the country, representatives of NATO member states signed a protocol on the accession of North Macedonia to NATO on 6 February 2019. Over the next thirteen months, all of NATO's 29 member states ratified the protocol. The accession protocol entered into force on 19 March 2020, allowing North Macedonia to deposit its instrument of accession and thereby become NATO's 30th member state on 27 March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Macedonia</span> Country in Southeast Europe

North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west. It constitutes approximately the northern third of the larger geographical region of Macedonia. Skopje, the capital and largest city, is home to a quarter of the country's 1.83 million people. The majority of the residents are ethnic Macedonians, a South Slavic people. Albanians form a significant minority at around 25%, followed by Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosniaks, Aromanians and a few other minorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece–North Macedonia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations exist between Greece and North Macedonia. Greece has an embassy in Skopje, and a Consulate General in Bitola. Similarly, North Macedonia maintains an embassy in Athens, and a consulate-general in Thessaloniki. Both countries are members of the Council of Europe and NATO. Greece is an EU member and North Macedonia is an EU candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoran Zaev</span> Former prime minister of North Macedonia

Zoran Zaev is a Macedonian economist and politician who served as prime minister of North Macedonia from May 2017 to January 2020, and again from August 2020 to January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Macedonian general election</span>

General elections were held in the Republic of Macedonia in April 2014 to elect the President and members of parliament. The first round of the presidential elections were held on 13 April, with incumbent president Gjorge Ivanov finishing first with 53% of the vote. However, as he did not receive the support of 50% of all registered voters, a second round was held on 27 April, alongside parliamentary elections, with Ivanov and the ruling coalition led by VMRO-DPMNE claiming victory as Ivanov was elected president and the VMRO-DPMNE won 61 of the 123 seats in the Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Macedonian parliamentary election</span>

Early parliamentary elections were held in Macedonia on 11 December 2016, having originally been planned for 24 April and later 5 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 storming of the Macedonian Parliament</span>

Storming of the Macedonian Parliament, also known as Bloody Thursday occurred on 27 April 2017, when about 200 Macedonian nationalists stormed the Macedonian Parliament in reaction to the election of Talat Xhaferi, an ethnic Albanian, as Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. It was the biggest attack in history on a Macedonian institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prespa Agreement</span> 2018 settlement of the Macedonia naming dispute

The Prespa Agreement, also known as the Treaty of Prespa, the Prespes deal or the Prespa accord, is an agreement reached in 2018 between Greece and the then-Republic of Macedonia, under the auspices of the United Nations, resolving a long-standing dispute between the two countries. Apart from resolving the terminological differences, the agreement also covers areas of cooperation between the two countries in order to establish a strategic partnership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 North Macedonian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in North Macedonia in 2019. Three candidates were on the ballot in the first round, held on 21 April: Stevo Pendarovski, supported by the ruling coalition led by the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, including the Democratic Union for Integration; Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova of the leading opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, and Blerim Reka, an independent supported by Albanian opposition parties Alliance for Albanians and Besa Movement. The first round did not result in an absolute majority for any candidate, with Pendarovski receiving the most votes. In the second round held on 5 May, Pendarovski defeated Siljanovska-Davkova with 54% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Left (North Macedonia)</span> Political party in North Macedonia (established in 2015)

The Left is a left-wing nationalist and eurosceptic political party in North Macedonia founded on 14 November 2015. Led by Dimitar Apasiev, a Docent of Law at the Goce Delčev University of Štip, the party is anti-NATO and promotes anti-clericalism, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism, and socialism, sitting on the left wing of the political spectrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election</span>

Early parliamentary elections were held in North Macedonia on 15 July 2020. It was originally scheduled for November 2020, but Prime Minister Zoran Zaev called early elections after the European Council failed to come to an agreement on starting talks with North Macedonia on joining the European Union in October 2019. The election date was set for 12 April, but was postponed until July due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia.

References

  1. ↑ "Macedonia sets Sept. 30 for referendum on name deal with Greece". www.channelnewsasia.com. Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 29 September 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Macedonia Sets 'Name' Referendum for September". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Macedonia, Greece Sign 'Historic' Name Deal". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Macedonia name referendum fails to reach turnout threshold: election commission". reuters.com. Reuters. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  5. ↑ "No Disputing Macedonia Is at a Watershed Moment – Analysis". www.eurasiareview.com. Eurasia Review. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  6. ↑ Sekularac, Ivana. "Macedonia leader vows to press on with name change despite..." Reuters. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. ↑ "United Nations Security Council Resolution 817". United Nations Security Council. 7 April 1993. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Macedonian Deputy PM in Athens For Talks on Name Dispute". www.rferl.org. RFERL. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Greece and FYROM PMs to meet over 'Macedonia' name dispute". www.neoskosmos.com. Neos Kosmos. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "PMs to meet after 'Macedonia' name dispute rally in Greece". www.sbs.com. SBS. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "Tsipras and Zaev unblock Euro-integration process". Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "'We have a deal,' Greek PM says over FYROM name row". www.ekathimerini.com. Η Καθημερινή. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Greece ends 27-year Macedonia name row". www.bbc.com. BBC News. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "Republic of North Macedonia with Macedonian language and identity, says Greek media". www.eta.mk. Meta. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  15. ↑ "Κλείδωσε το "Βόρεια Μακεδονία" - Το διάγγελμα Τσίπρα για τη συμφωνία" [Agreed on "North Macedonia" – Tsipras' speech to the nation about the deal]. kathimerini.gr (in Greek). Kathimerini. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  16. ↑ "Zaev:We made a deal - Republic of North Macedonia, with Macedonian language and Macedonian identity". www.kajgana.com (in Macedonian). Кајгана. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  17. ↑ "Χάνεται και "ο Ηλιος της Βεργίνας": Τι ορίζει η συμφωνία για το σήμα" [The "Sun of Vergina" is also being lost: what the agreement states]. www.crashonline.gr (in Greek). Crash Online. 14 June 2018. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  18. ↑ "Macedonia MPs ratify Greece deal, paving way for referendum". www.rappler.com. Rappler. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Macedonia Opposition Puts 'Name' Referendum at Risk". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  20. ↑ "Macedonia Starts Work on Referendum Preparations". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  21. ↑ Apostolov, Vlado (14 February 2019). "Macedonia Reveals Cost of Referendum Media Adverts". www.Balkaninsight.com. Balkaninsight. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  22. ↑ Референдумот распишан, дилемите останаа Nova Makedonika, 1 August 2018
  23. ↑ "Macedonia sets question for name referendum". 30 July 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "Merkel Urges Macedonians To Vote For Name Change, Possibility For EU, NATO Membership". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RFERL. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  25. ↑ "Kurz will visit Macedonia to support the referendum on 7th of September". www.meta.mk. Meta. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Defense Secretary warns of Russian meddling in Macedonia referendum". www.reuters.com. Reuters. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  27. ↑ "Stoltenberg and Kurz in Macedonia before Merkel". www.europeanwesternbalkans.com. European Western Balkans. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  28. ↑ "West in Diplomatic Push to Boost Macedonia Referendum". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  29. ↑ "Meta Urges Macedonia Albanians to Vote 'Yes' to Deal". www.balkaninsight.com. Balkan Insight. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  30. ↑ Iljazi, Bashkim (13 September 2018). "Bushati: Qytetarët e Maqedonisë ta mbështesin procesin e anëtarësimit të vendit në NATO dhe BE". www.telegrafi.com. Telegrafi. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  31. ↑ Iljazi, Bashkim (30 September 2018). "Edi Rama mesazh shqiptarëve të Maqedonisë: Sot votohet për të ardhmen e fëmijëve". www.telegrafi.com. Telegrafi. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  32. ↑ "Referendumi për emrin, liderët e partive shqiptare në Maqedoni votojnë 'pro'". www.shqiptarja.com. Shqiptarja. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  33. ↑ "Mickoski: The majority of VMRO-DPMNE supporters would either abstain or vote 'against'". www.nezavisen.mk. Nezavisen. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  34. ↑ "Wikileaks: FYROM would have accepted 'North Macedonia' in 2008". www.ekathimerini.com. Kathimerini . Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  35. ↑ "Wikileaks: FYROM would have accepted new name in 2008". www.euobserver.com. EU Observer. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  36. ↑ "Груевски не прифати ни "Северна" ни "ерга омнес"" [Gruevski did not accept neither "north" nor "erga omnes"]. www.kurir.mk (in Macedonian). Kurir. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  37. ↑ "Викиликс: "Северна Македонија" било прифатливо уште во 2008-ма, но со една важна разлика - Bukefal" [WikiLeaks: "North Macedonia" was acceptable in 2008, but with one important difference]. www.bukefal.club. Bukefal. 3 September 2018. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  38. ↑ "More than 1,000 Macedonians protest country's name change". www.reuters.com. Reuters. 23 June 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  39. ↑ Dabbagh, Omar. "Majority of Macedonian Australians boycotting name-change referendum". www.sbs.com.au. SBS. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  40. 1 2 3 Squires, Nick (27 September 2018). "Russia 'orchestrating covert campaign to wreck Macedonia name change vote'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  41. 1 2 "Updated: Largest Opposition Party in Macedonia is Not Boycotting Name Referendum". www.polygraph.info. Polygraph. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  42. 1 2 Perrigo, Billy (4 October 2018). "How the Renaming of Country Became A Battleground Between Russia and the West". Time. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  43. ↑ Tisdall, Simon (October 2018). "Result of Macedonia's referendum is another victory for Russia". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  44. ↑ "FYROM referendum: the day after". www.neoskosmos.com. Neos Kosmos. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  45. ↑ Trpkovski, Goce (3 October 2018). "Albanian Vote Not Crucial in Macedonia Referendum Shortfall". www.Balkaninsight.com. Balkaninsight. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  46. ↑ "Referendumi/ Mbi 260 mijë shqiptarë votuan pro marrëveshjes". www.balkanweb.com. BalkanWeb. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  47. ↑ Bechev, Dimitar. "What next after the failed Macedonian referendum?". Aljazeera. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  48. ↑ "EU and NATO hail Macedonia's referendum result despite low turnout". EURACTIV.com with AFP and Reuters. October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  49. ↑ "Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the outcome of the referendum in the Republic of Macedonia is contradictory (Original: Ελληνικό Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών: Αντιφατικό το αποτέλεσμα του δημοψηφίσματος στην πΓΔΜ)". Huffington Post. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  50. ↑ "Tsipras congratulates Zaev on determination to implement the agreement". ANMA. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  51. ↑ "Name deal in the balance as Russia hints at UN veto". Kathimerini. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  52. ↑ "Macedonia Dismisses Russian 'Threat' to Name Deal". BalkanInsight. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  53. ↑ "Welcome to North Macedonia: parliament votes for name change". The Guardian. 20 October 2018.
  54. ↑ "Macedonian Lawmakers OK Draft Language For Name-Change Amendment". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 4 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  55. ↑ "Macedonian parliament agrees to change country's name". Reuters | Editorial. 11 January 2019.
  56. ↑ "Υπερψηφίστηκε με 153 "ναι" η συμφωνία των Πρεσπών". www.kathimerini.gr. Kathimerini. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  57. ↑ "Canada "welcomes" the Prespa agreement (Original: "Ο Καναδάς "χαιρετίζει" τη συμφωνία των Πρεσπών")". www.kathimerini.gr. Kathimerini. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  58. ↑ "Jens Stoltenberg welcomes the Prespa agreement's ratification (Original:"Την υπερψήφιση της συμφωνίας των Πρεσπών χαιρετίζει ο Γενς Στόλτενμπεργκ")". www.kathimerini.gr. Kathimerini. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  59. ↑ "Joint Declaration by Juncker, Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn on Prespa (Original: "Κοινή δήλωση Γιούνκερ, Μογκερίνι και του Επιτρόπου Χαν για τις Πρέσπες")". www.kathimerini.gr. Kathimerini. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  60. ↑ "Tusk's and Moskovski's messages on the ratification of the Prespa agreement (Original: "Τα μηνύματα Τουσκ και Μοσκοβισί για την ψήφιση της συμφωνίας των Πρεσπών")". www.kathimerini.gr. Kathimerini. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  61. ↑ "German Foreign Minister: The approval of the Prespa agreement, an amazing news for Europe (Original: "Γερμανός υπ. Εξωτερικών: Καταπληκτική είδηση για την Ευρώπη η έγκριση της συμφωνίας των Πρεσπών")". www.kathimerini.gr. Kathimerini. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  62. ↑ "Bulgaria's PM hails Greek Parliament decision to ratify Prespa Agreement". www.mia.mk. MIA. 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  63. ↑ "Albania, Kosovo applaud name deal adoption that will stabilize region". www.ekathimerini.com. Ekathimerini. Retrieved 26 January 2019.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Macedonian referendum, 2018 at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.