Macedonia's prime minister has pledged to press on with a vote in parliament to change the country's name to resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece, despite failing to secure the 50 percent turnout at a referendum required to make it valid. The proposed name change is part of an agreement reached in June by pro-Western Prime Minister Zoran Zaev with Greece to resolve the dispute over the country's name, which had prevented Macedonia from joining NATO or the EU. With 85% of votes counted, official turnout was just 36%, and election officials made clear there was no chance the threshold would be cleared. "On this referendum, it is clear that the decision has not been made," election commission head Oliver Derkoski told reporters. The people who did vote overwhelmingly backed the name change - more than 90% voted yes with 63% of polling stations reporting. But that had never been in doubt, since opponents of the change had urged followers not to vote, rather than vote no. "It is clear that the agreement with Greece has not received the green light from the people," main nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE party leader Hristiajn Mickoski told journalists. Read more: The referendum was itself not legally binding, but policy makers had pledged to abide by it, and the failure to reach the turnout threshold means opponents can now freely vote against the deal. The nationalist opposition holds 49 seats in the 120-seat parliament, enough to block the two-thirds majority required to change the constitution. In an address, Mr Zaev made no mention of the turnout but said the votes of those who had backed the change must be respected. He pledged to hold a vote in parliament on the name change, and call an early election if lawmakers failed to enact it. "I am determined to take Macedonia into the European Union and NATO," Mr Zaev said. He spoke again later in the evening, along similar lines: "It is time to support European Macedonia." The Greek foreign ministry said it respected the will of the people of the country, which it refers to by the provisional name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The referendum passed judgment on the agreement with Greece reached in June, under which Macedonia would change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Greece, which has its own province called Macedonia, maintains that its northern neighbour's name represents a claim on its territory. Because of the dispute, Greece has vetoed Macedonia's entrance into NATO and the EU. While polls have long showed that a vast majority of Macedonians want to join NATO and the EU, nationalist opponents of the name change argued that it undermined the ethnic identity of Macedonia's Slavic majority. The question on the referendum ballot read: "Are you for NATO and EU membership with acceptance of the agreement with Greece". Supporters of the name change argued that it was a price worth paying to pursue admission into bodies such as the EU and NATO.<doc-sep>It was hailed as the breakthrough of a generation, a deal that would end a dispute that had festered for 27 years and consolidate peace in the Balkans. When the tiny Republic of Macedonia emerged from the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991, it had caused alarm in neighboring Greece, which already had a region called Macedonia, which included the nation’s second-biggest city and port of Thessaloniki. In June, the two sides finally hashed out an agreement under which Macedonia would be renamed the Republic of North Macedonia and, in turn, Greece would lift its objections to the state becoming a member of the European Union and of NATO. The agreement, which could lift Macedonia’s isolation and stem Russian influence in the region, was signed on the shores of Lake Prespa, which spans the countries’ borders. But on Sunday, the people of the prospective North Macedonia failed to provide the resounding approval that Prime Minister Zoran Zaev hoped for. In a referendum among the nation’s 2 million people, only 36.9% turned out to vote, failing to meet the 50% threshold for participation, even as 91.5% of those who voted approved the pact. The low turnout rendered the non-binding poll invalid. Advertisement Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev holds a press conference after the closing of the polls in the Macedonian referendum to solve the name issue with Greece, in Skopje, Macedonia, on Sunday. (Nake Batev/EPA-EFE/REX) Some Macedonians celebrated the result by dancing in the streets, holding placards saying: “Stop the Greek genocide” and “This was, is and will remain Macedonia.” “We knew that it was on the cards as there seemed to be this groundswell of opposition to the agreement with people feeling disgruntled about having to change the name of their country and their identity,” said James Ker-Lindsay, an expert on southeast Europe at the London School of Economics. “It came out as ‘Let’s boycott this’ rather than an outright ‘no.’” Zaev has said he will carry on with the ratification of the agreement and the next step of changing the constitution. But he will need the support of opposition lawmakers to push those through and the lackluster referendum result means he is unlikely to sway them to fall behind him. Otherwise, Ker-Lindsay says, fresh elections are the option. When Yugoslavia dissolved, the region that had been the Socialist Republic of Macedonia achieved independence without the bloodshed seen in the other Yugoslav states. But by keeping the name of Macedonia, it stoked fear and fury among Greeks who suspected it would make territorial claims on their territory. Those concerns grew when the main airport in the capital, Skopje, was called “Alexander the Great” in a move seen by Greeks as claiming the heritage of the ancient Greek king, who hailed from the ancient region of Macedonia and went out from there to conquer the known world. Amid boycotts and protest marches in Thessaloniki, Greece insisted on a name change and vetoed the neighbor’s bid to join NATO and the European Union. In a flurry of diplomatic activity earlier this year, Greece and the former Yugoslav republic carved out a compromise. In addition to the new name, the deal clarifies that the people of North Macedonia are unrelated to the ancient Greeks. Their language is part of the Slavic family, unrelated to ancient Greek. The new name would be used both internationally and bilaterally, so that the countries that recognize Macedonia would have to change their recognition to North Macedonia. The new name would be approved by the Macedonian people in the referendum and by the Greek parliament. Advertisement There was still opposition. In Athens and Thessaloniki, thousands rallied, chanting that there was only one Macedonia and that it was Greek. In Skopje, President Gjorge Ivanov said the agreement was in violation of the country’s sovereignty. In a joint statement Monday, President Donald Tusk of the European Union and Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg of NATO said the agreement, if ratified, “would change the life of the people of the country and that of their children for the better.” “It is now in the hands of politicians in Skopje to decide on the way forward,” the two added. “The decisions they take in the next days and weeks will determine the fate of their country and their people for many generations to come. We encourage them to seize this historic opportunity.” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert similarly praised the agreement and called for its “full implementation, which will allow Macedonia to take its rightful place in NATO and the EU, contributing to regional stability, security, and prosperity.” Advertisement If Zaev manages to deliver his part of the deal, it would then be the turn of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who will have to contend with opposition from his junior government partner. The Greek opposition has already said it will vote against the Prespa agreement in parliament. “We needed a good news story,” said Ker-Lindsay about the Balkans, where tensions over Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia, and Bosnia continue. “To get rid of one of them would have been a tremendous step forward.” Petrakis is a special correspondent.<doc-sep>Macedonians voted Sunday in a referendum to decide on a long-standing dispute with Greece over the name of their country. The Skopje government aims to change the name of the Balkan state, currently known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, to North Macedonia. Greece has accused its northern neighbor of stealing the historic legacy — and even territory — of its northernmost province, also called Macedonia. The rift has resulted in Greece's blocking Macedonia from joining NATO and the European Union. On Sunday, voters were asked whether they were in favor of possible NATO and EU memberships as a result of a deal struck in June between their government and Greece. Opponents in Macedonia, including the country's president, Gjorge Ivanov, called for a boycott of the vote, calling the deal "poisonous" and a "flagrant violation of sovereignty." The final turnout was thought to be less than 50 percent. Just half an hour before polls closed, officials said only 34 percent of the electorate had cast their ballots. Read more: Macedonia name change could be a game changer Support for 'Yes' campaign The referendum is non-binding and was not mandatory as part of the agreement made by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his Greek counterpart, Alexis Tsipras. However, a majority "Yes" would be considered a reflection of public opinion and allow the government to proceed with the name change. Officially, the Macedonian parliament needs a two-thirds majority to approve certain constitutional changes, which would subsequently allow Greece to ratify the bilateral agreement. Prime Minister Zaev believes that the deal would lead to the membership in NATO and the EU, boosting economic growth in the impoverished country. "Today is a beautiful day, a beautiful holiday for the country. Today the citizens are going out to decide on their future," he told the press after casting his ballot. Read more: Macedonia referendum: Country at a crossroads Vote of expediency Not many Macedonians share his enthusiasm, but some say they will go along with the name change for the sake of the country's membership in international alliances. One such voter, 28-year-old Abedin Memeti, told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency ahead of the vote: "We cannot really say it is fair, but the EU and NATO matter more for all of us, so let's move forward. ". The Macedonian referendum has stirred much interest across Europe, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently heading to Skopje to urge Macedonians to vote 'Yes.' Moscow is reportedly against NATO's expansion, with US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis saying there was "no doubt" Russia funded the "No" campaign in Macedonia. Read more: Macedonia: What's in a name? Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? NATO next? Should voters approve the name change to North Macedonia in Sunday's referendum, it could pave the way for the country to join NATO and the European Union. Previous talks stalled due to a veto by the Greek government in 2009. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? Ethnic conflicts Over the years, ethnic conflicts have been rife in Macedonia as a large part if its population consists of Albanian and Turkish minorities. The name deal would end one of the country's long-running conflicts with Greece. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? Whose history is it? Macedonia's previous government rebuilt the main square of its capital, Skopje, with an emphasis on history. It claimed its population were direct descendants of Alexander the Great. Greece has accused its neighboring country of trying to steal its history and identity. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? Anger on both sides The proposed name change has triggered protests in both countries, with Macedonian nationalists calling it an assault on the country's identity. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? 'Our name is Macedonia' The protests were often led by far-right organizations both in Macedonia and Greece. The Macedonian far-right group MHRMI (Macedonian Human Rights Movement International) put up billboards along a central street in Gevgelija, a town near the border with Greece. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? Glorifying the past Macedonia's new archaeological museum was part of Skopje 2014, a project aimed at lending a more classical appeal to the country's capital. Former populist leader Nikola Gruevski and his government oversaw Skopje 2014, which saw hundreds of pseudo-historical monuments and baroque buildings erected throughout the capital. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? United protests Widespread protests took place in Greece before, during and after the negotiations to change Macedonia's name. They were often led by the far right but there were also protesters from across the political and social spectrum. Macedonia: What's in a name (change)? Tempers flare Extreme right-wing protesters clashed with riot police in the Greek city of Thessaloniki during protests against the deal on September 8, 2018. Author: Dimitris Tosidis shs/kms (AP, dpa, AFP) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>Macedonia's government prepared for a political battle Monday to push through a deal with Greece that would ultimately pave the way for NATO membership, after the agreement won overwhelming support in a referendum but with low voter turnout. The European Union, NATO, UN secretary-general and the United States urged the small Balkan nation country to move forward with the next steps required to enact the deal. Macedonia's international partners have been eager to see the country join international institutions, in a region where Russia hasn't been keen on NATO picking up new members. Final results from Sunday's referendum showed that among the 36.9 per cent of registered voters who cast ballots, 91.4 per cent supported the deal that would change their country's name to North Macedonia. In return, Greece would drop its longstanding objections to its northern neighbour being considered for NATO membership. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, declared the referendum a success and said he would move forward with the next step: seeking a two-thirds majority in the 120-member parliament for required constitutional amendments. If the amendments do not pass, Social-Democrat Zaev said he would have no choice but to call an early election. Opponents of the deal with Greece, arguing that it undermined national interests, had advocated a voter boycott of the referendum. They seized on Sunday's low turnout as evidence of the agreement's rejection. A man casts his ballot at polling station in Skopje. (Boris Grdanoski/Associated Press) In a televised address, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, a conservative opponent of Zaev's, described the referendum as a failure and insisted the country deserved to join NATO, and ultimately the European Union, without changing its name. "Do not try to change this reality. Do not underestimate the sovereign will of the Macedonian people," Ivanov said. "And the reality is that the referendum is unsuccessful." International observers, headed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said fundamental freedoms were "respected throughout the campaign" for the referendum. Protesters hold a banner during a rally against Greece's name deal with neighbouring Macedonia on Sunday near the Evzonoi border crossing in Greece. (Giannis Papanikos/Associated Press) But Macedonia's State Electoral Commission cast doubt on the result. Commission head Oliver Derkoski said the Macedonian Constitution stipulates a minimum 50 per cent turnout for a referendum to be considered binding. Government disputes turnout argument The government has insisted the turnout threshold was not relevant, saying it called the referendum consultatively to provide an indication of popular opinion. It also argued that the outcome was a valid reflection of voters' will, saying the more than 600,000 people who voted in favour of the deal was far more than the number that had voted for any politician in Macedonia's short history. Macedonia's international partners called for parliamentary support for the deal. "We urge leaders to rise above partisan politics and seize this historic opportunity to secure a brighter future for the country as a full participant in Western institutions," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said . EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn tweeted he expected "all political leaders to respect this decision and take it forward with utmost responsibility and unity across party lines." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the overwhelming support from Macedonians who voted "is important" and urged "all political forces in the country to proceed with implementation," according to a statement from U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Guterres reiterated the UN's commitment "to provide all necessary support, if required" including through his personal envoy and UN agencies, Haq said. The Greek government said the low turnout was "troubling," but stressed the importance of the name deal clearing the next major obstacle. Macedonia's government will spend seven to 10 days seeking the necessary support from lawmakers to move forward with the deal, Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska said. It could be an uphill battle. "I think it would be very difficult for the prime minister to reach the deal with the opposition lawmakers over the constitutional changes and to continue with the next phase," Political analyst Petar Arsovski said. "Unfortunately, as opposed to providing closure, the referendum still leaves the country in turmoil ... I think Macedonia is entering into uncertainty and that the crisis will deepen."<doc-sep>
Lights flaring in opposition of Macedonia’s name change to ‘North Macedonia’ earlier this year outside the parliament in Skopje, Macedonia. (AP Photo/File) Lights flaring in opposition of Macedonia’s name change to ‘North Macedonia’ earlier this year outside the parliament in Skopje, Macedonia. (AP Photo/File) What’s in a name? That’s the question Macedonians will be called on to answer Sunday in a referendum on whether to change their country’s name to North Macedonia, ending a decades-long dispute with neighbouring Greece and opening the door to NATO membership. Greece, a NATO and European Union member, has long blocked Macedonia’s efforts to join the alliance, arguing that use of the term “Macedonia” implies territorial ambitions on its own province of the same name, the birthplace of the ancient warrior-king Alexander the Great. The name dispute broke out in the early 1990s when the small Balkan country declared independence from the former Yugoslav federation. It escalated quickly, with Athens imposing a crippling embargo on the new nation. After decades of stalled UN-mediated talks, changes in the Macedonian government in 2017 rekindled hopes that a solution could be found. Under a deal reached in June, Macedonia will change its name to North Macedonia and Greece will drop its objections to the country joining NATO. HOW DID THE DISPUTE START? The term “Macedonia” harks back to the ancient kingdom once ruled by Alexander. Greeks, who consider this one of the high points of their history, see the use of the name by their northern neighbour as an attempt to usurp their history. The geographical area covered by the ancient kingdom now includes Macedonia and parts of Greece and Bulgaria. For the new country that emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia, the name Macedonia was one way for politicians to instill a sense of national pride. Macedonian nationalists began producing maps including Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city. Nikola Gruevski, a conservative prime minister who was in power from 2006-2016, went on a building spree, erecting statues of ancient Greeks in the centre of the Macedonian capital of Skopje and naming the country’s main highway and international airport after Alexander the Great. Greeks were horrified. With no solution in sight, the new country continued to be officially known by the name it was admitted to the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM. WHAT’S AT STAKE NOW? On Sunday, voters will be asked: “Are you in favour of membership in the European Union and NATO by accepting the deal between (the) Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Greece?” If Macedonians vote “Yes,” their country can then become NATO’s 30th member. Both Skopje and Athens made concessions in the June deal. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev agreed to add “North” to his country’s name, while his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras promised to drop objections to Macedonia joining NATO. The deal met with vociferous opposition in both countries, from those who accused the prime ministers of conceding too much. Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov slammed the deal as a “flagrant violation of sovereignty.” Opponents to the deal have called for a boycott of the referendum. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES? If the “Yes” vote wins and the turnout is over 50 per cent, the Macedonian government will then move ahead with the next step in the June deal, which is to amend parts of its constitution. Even if turnout doesn’t reach 50 per cent, the government could interpret the result as an indication of public opinion and act accordingly. Zaev has said he will resign if the “No” vote prevails, and the deal with Greece would be dead. WHAT HAPPENS IF `YES’ WINS? If “Yes” wins, Macedonia will have to amend parts of its constitution to ensure it doesn’t contain anything that could be considered irredentist against the Greeks. That will have to be ratified in parliament by a two-thirds majority of the 120 seats. Zaev currently has received pledges of support from 73 lawmakers, he would need another seven for the amendments to pass. Once Macedonia’s parliament has voted, the ball is in Greece’s court. The name deal will have to be ratified in the Greek parliament, where Tsipras faces troubles of his own. His governing coalition partner, Panos Kamenos, head of the right-wing Independent Greeks, vows to vote against the agreement in the Greek parliament. It is unclear if Tsipras will be able to muster enough votes from independent lawmakers and opposition parties to push it through.