Greeks request annulment of name deal with Skopje

NEWS 29.06.201816:50
Tanju/AP/Giannis Papanikos

The Greek opponents to Athens agreement with Skopje on a new name for the former Yugoslav republic and the withdrawal of opposition to Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration said on Friday they had filed charges to the Supreme Court demanding it to declare the deal unconstitutional.

The Belgrade-based Beta news agency reported that the group of organisations announced late on Thursday that they had requested that the Supreme Court cancel the deal they described as “a nightmare.”

The group of unidentified organisations said the Greek parliament should have ratified what they called a preliminary concurrence discussed by the prime ministers of the two countries before the respective foreign ministers had signed it on June 17.

It also said that the deal “inflicts unrepairable damage to the Greek nation” and that the authorities should have called a referendum on the agreement.

The nationalists in both countries oppose the agreement renaming former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into North Macedonia and have organised street protests some of which have turned violent.

The deal enables Macedonia to start the accession talks with the European Union and to get a NATO invitation to join the Alliance after 27 years of Greece’s obstruction of both processes.

Opinion poll shows Greeks’ resentment of the name deal

The “Puls” polling agency has said its latest survey showed that 62 percent of Greeks were against the name deal Athens and Skopje reached earlier this month.

“Negative” opinion on the deal expressed 48 percent while 14 percent said they had “probably negative” stand.

Only 15 percent of those polled had “absolutely positive” opinion, while 12 percent had “somewhat positive” view on the agreement.

Even the supporters of the Prime Minister Syriza party were split on the issue with 51 percent in favour, while the 86 percent of the opposition Nea Dimokratia party were against the deal.