The problem of Greece with Skopje could only be resolved with an honest compromise. I spoke recently about the characteristics and the direction that such a compromise ought to have.
The Tsipra-Zaef agreement, however, does not lead to the solution of the problem, because the compromise on which it relied is not honest, as it is unequal and unfair to our detriment. It is an
agreement that essentially enshrines the expansive declarations of Skopje against Greece, with the acceptance on our behalf and legitimation of “Macedonian” nationality and language for the Skopians, that is, the hard core of their state’s ideology. This is where the crucial point of the agreement lies.
This arrangement, therefore, shows us three things. Firstly, that the Greek side did not negotiate as it should to achieve the utterly acceptable by our side, but also correct historically, that would be the Slav-Macedonian ethnicity and language.
Secondly, it showed that the Greek side negotiated with a view to an agreement that would not be designed to solve Greece’s foreign policy problem with Skopje, but with the purpose of providing the government with political benefits, one of which is the turn of the public’s attention from the signing of the fourth memorandum to the agreement.
And the third is the following; since Skopje refused to distance themselves from the aggressive, expansive, historically unrecognizable but also ridiculous narrative of their “macedonian identity”, this means that after the signing of the agreement they will continue to behave towards us in the same aggressive and irritating way.
For the above reasons, and also because the agreement does not serve the basics in order for it to be acceptable and sustainable, i.e. to dismantle the Skopian expansionism, I do not support it.
I would, however, like to add that even its full implementation, however unfavorable it may be for Greece, does not entail any national tragedy. Skopje is a threat to Greece mainly at a symbolic level and will never be able to create real security problems for us. This, of course, is no reason to accept a bad agreement for Greece, as some supposed “realists” do. I just make this note because we have to be aware that irrespective of what happens with Skopje, the real danger for Greece comes from the east.
