Periclis - don't be silly: all Macedonia needs to do is to blockade the E75 / M1 main highway between Titov Veles and the Greek border, together with the parallel railway, and over 75% of Greece's trade with the EU gets strangled.

(The parallel highway southwards from Sofia won't carry the displaced traffic as it's too narrow !)

Heh heh - this should be fun !
Greece's communications with the rest of Europe always were its Achilles Heel, and Macedonia holds most of the cards (not all - Bulgaria holds [...]

Read the full comment a couple of low-value ones.)

Perhaps now Greece will regret not opening more border points between itself and Bulgaria !

SOFIA ECHO DONT WORRY ABOUT GREECE,WE HAVE LOT F 16

FYROMANIAN WHAT MEANS MACEDONIA YOU NIW ??????????

Periclis, at the risk of being told by the Moderators that I am posting repeated content (although so do you), could I please remind you that the semi-colon ;;;;;; is NOT used in English as a Question Mark (???????), not indeed in any other European language. The Spanish indeed repeat the Question Mark ???? before any question, as well as after it.

The use of ;;;;; after a question is restricted to Greek, Turkish, and Albanian.

Hope you understand this - katalabeis ?

SLAVOMACEDONIAN TAKET OR LIVET,A THING THE MOST FEAR FOR ALL AREA.YOU ARE SLAVS AND YOU LIVE IN PART OF MACEDONIA,BUTT YOU ARE NOT ORIGINAL MACEDONIAN ASS YOU SAY,STOP BELIEV ON TITO FANTASMA AND TITO PROPAGANT.YOU REALY BELIEV YOU ARE MACEDONIAN;;;;;TELL ME WHAT MEANS IF YOU REALY NOW.MACEDONIAN HAVE GREECE NAME SPEAK GREECE BECAUSE IS GREECE.CHECK YOUR NAME YOUR LANGUITS NOTHING CLOSE TOO MACEDONIA,BE PROUT LIKE SLAVS,LIKE WHAT YOU REALY YOU ARE.YOU LOSE ENERGY TOO MAKE THE LIES TRUE,AND THE PROPAGANT REALY HISTORY YOU DONT SEE;;;;;;;BE PROUT ASS SLAVS.

chris.k you are macedonian as you see,you now watt means macedonia;;;;or just you here one more papagale here;;the macedonian speak greece and have a greec name,and was greece you like it or not.dont speak your langoits the speak greece sorry.your langoits is dialect bulgarian and you are SLAVS if you are not prout,is not my problem but this is your realy history.and before 1913 is ottoman empire like all area if you now;;;and you are part of yougoslavia if you now, and never as macedonian contry if you now;;YOU ARE SLAVS YOU LIKE IT OR NO.you call thessaloniki [sister from [...]

Read the full comment alexanter]soloon,watt means you now;;vardaria is your name you like it or no.

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That's a good point - if we're into renaming countries, why not re-name Greece "Yunanistan" (still the word used for 'Greece' in Turkish)? The Venetian State could do with a renaissance, too - it wasn't a republic, IIRC, as it had a Doge.

But once we're into the Ancient Names territory, it doesn't stop with Macedonia. Oh No. Illyria should come next, and then Slavonia (not to be confused with Slovenia or Slovakia !) Also Ruthenia and Transylvania.

It might be as well to keep the lid on this particular pot, and [...]

Read the full comment let the Skopje republic call itself Northern Macedonia, rather than re-open all these fascinating historical cans-of-worms.

Being based in Mercia, in the Roman province of Brittania, it is of course easy for me to say this. ("Quocumque facile ut dices", as we say in our local peasant dialect...)

How about Eastern Albania?

Truth enouph for all??

How about...NOrthern Neighbour of the Former Turkish Province of Yunanistan?

Fair enough for all

Kopit - why not "Macedonia Salutaris" (Macedonia the Health-giving) as the Romans called it for several hundred years from 400 AD onwards ?

A few good ones....

Slavodonia
Albadonia
Bulgodonia

I think Paulos could well be right.

It would make much sense for whatever compromise has been agreed to be held over until after the Greek elections, as the "name" issue is sensitive in Greek politics for reasons best known to the Greeks.

Peco, did you know that if all of your people in Macedonia came to get citizenship in Sofia your government would fall apart like a pack of cards. I go to Macedonia every year for summer since 1978 and no one has ever asked me about my Bulgarian background. You have good people there only stupid government. I think you are all right about the macedonian diaspora they run your country. Good Luck with EU. I hope your government doesn't make another mistake (like always) to get in. I remember at Bucharest Gruevski like a 2 year old on the [...]

Read the full comment airport runway having a tantrum that he was refused entry into Nato. This lesson should have helped but he again turned to the diaspora who stupidly advised him on bucharest. I think you need new leader one who thinks for himself........

As we the Macedonians living on the outskirts of Bitola have been waiting nearly 20 years for some possible help from our governments who have without fail ignored the needs of the people only to look at some inflated issue on our constitutional name it is time to change our course. Next month 386 of our locals are receiving Bulgarian nationality and citizenship. What is good about it is we are free from our governments impotent and incapable policies which have done nothing but harmed our people. It is a good feeling to travel everywhere as both Macedonians and Bulgarians. [...]

Read the full comment The Eu might have to wait another few years before our government realise that name issues don't feed the people. The people of Macedonia are hungry for food, work, and real leadership. The government make everybody believe that everything is fine in all the cities but in reality the majority of the people are struggling severely. Thats why when ever they organise a rally regarding the name issue they rarely get more than 4-5000 people. Even when they sent free buses around the country to bring supporters into skopje only 6500 turned out. The government has the wool pulled over its eyes and doesn't want to believe that the real support for this issue comes from outside Macedonia..
The Diaspora.. The cursed diaspora they live well while we suffer.

I believe that the solution is already agreed.
But it was not to the interest of either of Athens nor for Skopje to publish it at this moment. Greece has national elections and grueski tries with his macedonist ideas to blur the truth about the economy of his state due to the uncleared path towards EU.
Skopje might well become the poorest european state, with the real problems to come when Albania joins EU. Till then of course Grueski can accomodate his irrational nationalistic ideas.
As such both parties probably agreed to release the [...]

Read the full comment news about the deal straight after the greek elections. So its pointless discussing between us. Whatever is to come is by high probability already agreed.

And ?

Yes Eu integration sounds good but is it achievable with a government that does not like change, compromise, or any other paries for that matter. We the Macedonian Youth are for the EU and want a fair compromise which can be achieved with reasonable outcomes. The problem in Macedonia is that Gruevski's government is run by the diaspora who pump millions into the local economy so they can have a political voice in regional issues. Who ever heard of Antiquisation politics in Macedonia outside of the diasporas propaganda. Even Gligorov before he died admitted that it is in the diaspora [...]

Read the full comment where this belief of an Al. Veliki connection was born and has been flourishing. Every fascist government has always looked on the diaspora with increased celebration but time will show that our Narod is Slavic through and through. The Macedonian Youth are proud of their heritage and don't need Diaspora Morons to associate their version of our history. Theirs is a fabricated narrative promoted by the chief idiots of the diaspora Risto Stefov and his sidekick Gandeto. EU is our priority. The poor in Macedonia are struggling now more than ever. Gruevski and co. (especially the diaspora)thinks that by not changing the constitutional name we will keep our ancient name. He betrays our forefathers Delchev, Gruev, etc., who openly admitted that we are all Macedonians regardless of background. The Youth will remain ready for fair compromise. Northern Macedonia works well for the youth as long as our Macedonian identity doesn't clash with the Greeks and Bulgarians of Macedonian heritage.........

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Diavoli - if the name of fYRoM (careful about the spelling and capital letters - UN says so !) isn't among the world's "Top 100 Issues", as you rightly say, why then is the Greek government procrastinating so long and hard about the issue ?

Surely Greece has rather more important things to worry about, like the immense refugee problem in the Aegean sea (for which Turkey is partly to blame ) ? Plus the Turkish incursions into Greek Aegean airspace ?

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Honestly guys, does FYROM even exist right now in the top 100 world issues of today? When the Albanians partition part of that region and Bulgaria take the rest, nobody will notice....yawn next issue. This little region is getting tiresome, instead of building a statue of alexander, why don't you use that money for something better like buying more sheep.

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Istor - have your ever heard the two words c-o-m-p-r-o-m-i-s-e
or n-e-g-o-t-i-a-t-i-o-n ?

You may need to understand these in future.

Changing subjects only slightly, there are strong historical grounds for viewing both Macedonias as (and I use this word only because professional historians use it) "bastard states. In other words, both are not true "successor states" to Ancient Macedonia, as the Roman Empire dismantled Ancient Macedonia rather thoroughly in 146 BC and deported its Hellenic population to what is now Bulgaria (then it was "Thracia", or Thrace).
[...]

Read the full comment
Macedonians both were re-constituted by the Roman Empire in the 4th Century AD, as "Macedonia Prima" (Aegean Macedonia) and "Macedonia Salutaris" (today's fYRoM - and watch the capitals shift on your computer when writing this, as FYROM is internationally incorrect.)

So, when in Rome (or the Treaty of Rome) , do what Rome does. The Romans established two Macedonias, so let their legacy remain.

Greece cannot allow any non Greek people around monopolizing the name of Macedonia.

This means that no people, ethnicity, language, country or citizenship can be called Macedonian.

The new name of FYROM must be ONE word, except the word Macedonia. So, names like Somemacedonia ( some = velik, gorno, slavo, pravo, novo, ....) are acceptable.

Sasha your right about the UMD, they make lots of money through the diaspora. Recently they sent our leader extra money for his Al. Veliki statue which they have collected from golf games, raffles, and dances. When you see this Koloski who runs the UMD he is like one of those little fat piglets waiting for handouts. What can we do Sasha, they own over half of Macedonia. They have bought every real estate in Bitola and Ohrid and are expanding to other towns. Soon the UMD will run the country like you say. They already have Gruevski eating out [...]

Read the full comment of their hands and our new president is already receiving extra care from them....We are living in one of the most corrupt regions of the world and it will get worse. Bitola LOVES you Sasha.....

I know Alexander means a lot to you Greeks but reality is he was a brutal person intoxicated by his place in making history. He tried to emulate his idol and ancestor Achilles. It is not my place to argue your beliefs/disbeliefs but one thing is for sure he was not our ancestor as many of my countrymen would have us believe. It is time to put this fantasy that radiates from the diaspora to rest. Our Macedonian Narod is part of the wider Slavic family that lives in the same region. Those who want to cleanse our blood of [...]

Read the full comment the Slavic element are going to find out the hard way that the Macedonian Youth who under Gotse Delchevs cause tried to give our land a united front. He proclaimed to all the people of Macedonia regardless if Slav, Turk, Greek, Vlach, Gypsy, or Albanian that we are all part of this land no more no less. So my Greek friend your Alexander can be what ever you like him to be while he is what I like him to be. Al. Veliki does not represent the Macedonian Youth of Macedonia. He represents the Fascist Diaspora PIGS who live in Canada, Australia, and America hiding behind their money making machine the United Mecedonian Diaspora UMD who are running our country giving millions to the Fascists of this country and leaving the rest of us in limbo. Enough is enough, time is on our side just like the anarchists took over Athens last year Skopje is on notice by the Youth who are waiting to see what comes of these negotiations. Soon the Government will get the treatment it deserves..................

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We are not like North or South Korea we the macedonians cannot accept such a name as North macedonia will greece then change it to south macedonia? why must we change the name we all the pressure on us? only thing that the macedonians will accept is rep.of macedonia these name talks are a waste of time because both countries will not accept any name greece will keep blocking us because then the country wont move foward into eu, and nato and thats what they want.

Check any maps before 1913 and show me where greece [...]

Read the full comment held aegean macedonia the only reason they have our land is because it got partioned by bulgaria, albania, serbia, and greece which took 51% of the orginal macedonia but thats not good enoough now they want us to change our name i say srew u all who think the name needs to be change we will always be macedonia and we will always be macedonians like it or not!

The Macedonian Youth of Macedonia have been willing for a long time to resolve this issue. I wasn't even born when our country became independent in 1991. There is a large teenage presence in macedonia who are willing for Northern Macedonia as long as our Macedonian Identity is not affected. Yes we are Macedonians but from Slavic roots and No we are not what our diaspora keep brainwashing the idiots of our NAROD ancients. Prilep, Ohrid, and Bitola are ready to move forward. We have to convince our Fascist capital to look at reality in the eye. If you want [...]

Read the full comment to see how our idiots who run our country behave look at the recent encyclopaedia debacle. The idiots tried to claim that we the Macedonians are the only people who have lived on this land since antiquity. The Idiots with the millions they get from our bloodsucking diaspora will right anything to legitimise our presence even if it is all fabrications without one shred of evidence. Long Live Macedonia for the YOUTH and out with the Fascists. Northern Macedonia is GOOD for all.......

to ? - Southern Macedonia is what the Roman Empire called "Macedonia Prima" back in the year 400 AD, so there is a good historical precedent. In today's terms it is Greek Macedonia (also sometimes geographically called Aegean Macedonia).

The "Northern Macedonia" name, similarly, used to be "Macedonia Salutaris" in Roman times. Strictly this means "Healthy Macedonia", but let's all agree that it can equally be "northern".

The boundaries of the two Roman provinces were very close to those of today.

So, as Aries says, let's all support [...]

Read the full comment "Northern Macedonia" for the former Jugoslav republic, and let Greece call its own internal Province of Macedonia whatever it likes (within reason !), though "Southern Macedonia could be a good name. End of issue, hopefully.

So where is Southern Macedonia?

Fair enough
Northern Macedonia one name for everyone and we move forwaerd.
hopefu;lly.

I guess he has to seem optomistic..

I say Northern Macedonia sounds about right. It's a win win situation for both nations.

What do you guys think??