INTERVIEW-Macedonia still on EU path, won't give up on name
By Kole Casule
SKOPJE, May 28 (Reuters) - Macedonia is determined to join the EU and NATO but will not give in to Greek demands that the country change its name to win membership, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, frontrunner in Sunday's general election.
The coalition of Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party with Albanian minority parties collapsed in April. It had been shaky for months over the country's reform path before Greece dealt the final blow by blocking Macedonia's bid to join NATO.
Athens objects to its neighbour calling itself "Macedonia", on the grounds that it is also the name of Greece's northern province, birthplace of Alexander the Great.
"We want this country to become a NATO and European Union member, we have no dilemma and no alternative," Gruevski told Reuters in an interview.
"But we can't do that at the cost of losing our identity, our language and our nation, we can't do that against the wishes of 2 million people. We have a red line: NATO and the EU mean a lot, but also our identity is very important."
The dispute with Greece has festered for 17 years. Athens has threatened to also block Macedonia's path to the EU unless the country agrees to a composite name that Athens approves.
Gruevski said he is optimistic a solution will be found.
"Although the Greeks feel triumphant now, they will soon understand the problem cannot be solved with force, blackmail and blockades. The problem is still on the table," he said.
In the month since the NATO summit, tit-for-tat diplomatic spats have boosted anti-Greek feeling in Macedonia, and analysts say Gruevski will capitalise on these sentiments to secure a stronger mandate from voters.
Gruevski says his party is not nationalist, but a "European and patriotic party". Its programme says it will not agree to anything it considers a threat to national identity, and will hold a referendum before signing any compromise solution.
"As a European party, we will continue to talk very seriously about the name problem ... but we know exactly what we can accept and what not in these negotiations."
PANDORA'S BOX
Gruevski said he felt vindicated by Macedonia's progress. It had been praised by NATO, he said, and the EU had signalled talks on accession could start this year if it keeps up the good work.
Macedonia has great potential and a bright future regardless of the name issue, he added. The economy grew five percent in 2007 and is expected to top that this year.
"I can't accept suggestions that if we don't get a NATO invitation or a date for EU negotiations, the country will fall into a hole, the economy will crash," he said. "It's not true."
His assurances are meant for the 25-percent ethnic Albanian minority. They see Macedonian insistence on the name as a gesture of romantic nationalism that could cut off the country's path to prosperity and undermine their own rights.
Albanians rebelled in 2001, and Western powers prevented all-out war with the Ohrid peace accord offering them greater rights.
The West is watching for any sign of further tension, having only just steered Albanians in neighbouring Kosovo to independence from Serbia.
"I understand Albanians are in a different position," Gruevski said. "They want to join NATO and the EU, but they don't have the problems we Macedonians have, with our identity coming under threat from some of the Greek proposals.
"I know some of their leaders want a more flexible approach, but it is not us who are inflexible." Gruevski said the state was doing everything in its power to ensure ethnic peace by fulfilling the terms of the Ohrid accord, but was not about to bow to new demands.
"Some Albanian parties now want things they gave up on during the peace talks," he said. "We say that everything in the Ohrid accord should be fulfilled, but if we go outside it, we would be opening a Pandora's box." (Writing by Ellie Tzortzi; editing by Andrew Roche)
SKOPJE, May 28 (Reuters) - Macedonia is determined to join the EU and NATO but will not give in to Greek demands that the country change its name to win membership, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, frontrunner in Sunday's general election.
The coalition of Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party with Albanian minority parties collapsed in April. It had been shaky for months over the country's reform path before Greece dealt the final blow by blocking Macedonia's bid to join NATO.
Athens objects to its neighbour calling itself "Macedonia", on the grounds that it is also the name of Greece's northern province, birthplace of Alexander the Great.
"We want this country to become a NATO and European Union member, we have no dilemma and no alternative," Gruevski told Reuters in an interview.
"But we can't do that at the cost of losing our identity, our language and our nation, we can't do that against the wishes of 2 million people. We have a red line: NATO and the EU mean a lot, but also our identity is very important."
The dispute with Greece has festered for 17 years. Athens has threatened to also block Macedonia's path to the EU unless the country agrees to a composite name that Athens approves.
Gruevski said he is optimistic a solution will be found.
"Although the Greeks feel triumphant now, they will soon understand the problem cannot be solved with force, blackmail and blockades. The problem is still on the table," he said.
In the month since the NATO summit, tit-for-tat diplomatic spats have boosted anti-Greek feeling in Macedonia, and analysts say Gruevski will capitalise on these sentiments to secure a stronger mandate from voters.
Gruevski says his party is not nationalist, but a "European and patriotic party". Its programme says it will not agree to anything it considers a threat to national identity, and will hold a referendum before signing any compromise solution.
"As a European party, we will continue to talk very seriously about the name problem ... but we know exactly what we can accept and what not in these negotiations."
PANDORA'S BOX
Gruevski said he felt vindicated by Macedonia's progress. It had been praised by NATO, he said, and the EU had signalled talks on accession could start this year if it keeps up the good work.
Macedonia has great potential and a bright future regardless of the name issue, he added. The economy grew five percent in 2007 and is expected to top that this year.
"I can't accept suggestions that if we don't get a NATO invitation or a date for EU negotiations, the country will fall into a hole, the economy will crash," he said. "It's not true."
His assurances are meant for the 25-percent ethnic Albanian minority. They see Macedonian insistence on the name as a gesture of romantic nationalism that could cut off the country's path to prosperity and undermine their own rights.
Albanians rebelled in 2001, and Western powers prevented all-out war with the Ohrid peace accord offering them greater rights.
The West is watching for any sign of further tension, having only just steered Albanians in neighbouring Kosovo to independence from Serbia.
"I understand Albanians are in a different position," Gruevski said. "They want to join NATO and the EU, but they don't have the problems we Macedonians have, with our identity coming under threat from some of the Greek proposals.
"I know some of their leaders want a more flexible approach, but it is not us who are inflexible." Gruevski said the state was doing everything in its power to ensure ethnic peace by fulfilling the terms of the Ohrid accord, but was not about to bow to new demands.
"Some Albanian parties now want things they gave up on during the peace talks," he said. "We say that everything in the Ohrid accord should be fulfilled, but if we go outside it, we would be opening a Pandora's box." (Writing by Ellie Tzortzi; editing by Andrew Roche)
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