What Aries says is entirely correct.

Glagolithic Alphabet was created two monks Cyrill and Methodius
From Thessaloniki unde the auspices of Prince Ratislav.
Late Constantin Cyril of Ohrid developped the Cyrillic alphabet
we know today.
Thank you.

Georgi, yes we are Macedonians but you seem to imply that we are not of a Slavic background. It might seem like a rude awakening to you but our language is actually Slavic and although we are orthodox like our southern neighbours it doesn't mean that we should ignore our Slavic origins. As Macedonians we have come a long way to promote our language, culture and religion. But remember one thing, all our forefathers claimed Bulgarian ancestry from Delchev, Karev, Gruev, and Sandanski. And on top of that they were proud of our Slavic origins. The Balkans are made up [...]

Read the full comment of Albanians, Slavs, Greeks, Vlachs, and Gypsys. And my friend we as the Serbs, Croats, etc., belong to the Slavic peoples. Yes maybe some of these peoples are muslims but the truth to the matter is, politics creates division just as much as religion does.

Like i said in my last comment, we as Macedonians or Greeks are missing the big picture.
Who cares about where the Slavs came from, were here and we here to stay.
One point that my fellow Greek orthodoxs friends forgot to mention that the Slavic languge was created in Thasolanikki (Salonika or Solun). So at one point in history we as Macedonians or Greeks or both had something to do with the creation of the Slavs.

So lets all move on and live like friends cos like i said in my [...]

Read the full comment last comment, we orthodox should stick together cos our netx big war is a religous war againts the Muslims.

If Alexander the Great is watching us from above he's propably laugthing at us, but one thing is for sure if he was still on this Earth there would'nt be any muslims in the Balkans.

to <<Northern Macedonia>> -

Is the Ministry of Macedonia/Thrace about to revert to its pre-1990 name of "Ministry of Northern Greece" then ? I can't see this as earth-shaking news - we've renamed various local government areas in England five or six times since 1990 ! Just ask inhabitants of Rutland ....

The new greek government has just been elected that they did already the fatal move for an explicit recognition of the "Republic of Northern Macedonia". The greek ministry of Macedonia-Thrace doesn't exist any longer. The government decided to eliminate it as clear signal in favor of FYROM and Matthew Nimetz.
So I expect, with Papandreou handling the foreign ministry, a solution will be soon found for the name.

to Greek Macedonia Supremacy - you have rather missed my point ! Let me try to explain more clearly.

My original contention was that it is possible for eminent individuals to originate from one culture/language, but to participate very effectively in another, and even to "assimilate".

Some (Northern European) scholars argue that the dynasty of Philip and Alexander originated from a non-Hellenic warrior culture (possibly Illyrian, but never ever Slavic !)to become throughly Hellenised by 400 BC or so. So that ruling house spoke Greek, claimed to be Greek, were educated as [...]

Read the full comment Greeks (in Alexander's case by Aristotle)and behaved as Greeks most of the time (however, the personal slaying of at least one wedding guest by Alexander personally during a drunken argument was not a particularly Hellenic thing to do !) We also know too that Alexander was quite capable of addressing his troops in a non-Greek language (presumably his originally native Illyrian). But, in short, Philip and Alexander were "assimilated" into Hellenic / Greek culture, and no serious scholar doubts this (and no they were NOT Slavs, to some of our readers...)

Similarly, Professor Wieczorek has become partially "assimilated" into German culture as a respected senior academic operating in a German institute in Mannheim and doubtless speaking impeccable German. But his name indicates that he is of non-German origin (just like Philip and Alexander were), so the analogy to my mind is a valid and rather pertinent one.

If the good Professor had wished totally to "assimilate", he would have changed his name to "Kleinabend" (the exact German translation of Wieczorek). But he doesn't, and that is his right.

I don't see what is "racist" about any of this, as you allege; it's just a natural process that has occurred during both ancient and modern history, and which will continue to occur.

There bare many people in Macedonia who are Bulgarian rooted Gotse not ony you people in Struga and Ohrid. Here in Bitola some of the biggest families are all Bulgarian backgrounded and they all now also have Bulgarian passports. Funny that when we started to mention around the town that we got the Bulgarian passports, everyone in town started asking how hard it was. When we told them that you only have to prove some family connection to Bulgaria many of our young caught the next bus to Plovdiv. It will become soon that more Macedonians in Bitola will have [...]

Read the full comment Bulgarian passports than Macedonian ones. The good thing with this is that we are free to go where-ever, when-ever we choose and don't need visas all the time. Don't forget that our language is the key to our Bulgarian ancestry. Speaking fluent Macedonian allows us to communicate easily in Plovdiv proving our Bulgarian roots. So for anyone who wants a ticket to Plovdiv, come to the internet cafe.

This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained не е по темата на статията

I think that Greek Macedonia supremacy has a good point. One day we will be recognised as Northern Macedonia and our language and identity as Macedonian. Although this might sound absurd to some of our Greek friends the truth is that this whole issue revolves around history. Who has the right to claim antiquity. I for one know that our ancestors were and are Bulgarians. My family who live in Struga near Ohrid have for generations revered their Bulgarian heritage alongside their Macedonian identity. I know there are those in our people who argue for connections with antiquity but most [...]

Read the full comment of them have political agendas in mind not cultural. As Sasha has argued countless times on this site that the diaspora have a big hand in what gets said and done in Macedonia. Take Blaze Ristovski for instance, the chief editor of MANU which published the Encyclopaedia debacle. He was openly claiming unprovable historical facts of our people based on pseudo-sciences concocted in the privacy of his lodgings. These people receive millions of Euros from diaspora millionares to write and in many ways fabricate our national narrative with our government staying quiet. The encyclopeadia does not state that our ancestores are Slavic for example but rather they argue for some miraculous gene pool stretching all the way back to Aleksander Veliki. What amuses us in western Macedonia is our saying here which in english goes 'it is because Samuel loved his Bulgarian people that we here in the Capital of Bulgaria have given our Macedonia a new capital city'. It is refering to Ohrid which was the capital of Bulgaria for some time under the czar Samuel whose Bulgarian identity has been celebrated far and wide. Even he is rubbed out of the Blaze history to make room for some superhuman character of the same name but of a modern Macedonian identity. So as you can all see whether we become northern or not we will still be called Macedonians (with some Bulgarian roots of course) to everyone else so get over it. As long as the history part gets worked out then there should not be a problem. If there can be many types of americans, swiss, Belgians, luxemburgers, etc,. then there can be many types of modern Macedonians. We Bulgarians, Albanians, Greeks, Turks, Vlachs are all Macedonians so there shouldn't be one type of ethnic Macedonian. Just a whole lot of regional Macedonians.

Dear Epaminondas, I don't get your point about the polish nationality of Alfried Wieczorek. Looks like some racist insinuation... Read what I wrote carefully: the article never said he is German, but he is the "head of the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums in the southern German city of Mannheim". Are you trying to discredit abusively my post, so people would avoid to read it?
Or maybe you are not happy with the content of this post. That's another thing...

To Aries: your post is way too agressive and you should definitely apologize for it. You didn't [...]

Read the full comment let me the chance to explain what I wrote are just general historical facts. Tell me seriously if my sources and the content of the articles are wrong? NO! They are NOT!

But my intention was not to link the antic greek Macedonia history with the current political/critical climate between Greece and FYROM. That are two distinct things.
When we talk about FYROM as Macedonia, then we are not talking about Alexander and the origins anymore. We are talking about cultural usurpation and territorial intentions under "Tito's reign", Balkanic instability. This issue has nothing to do with History, but with politics issues.

This "recently born" state called as FYROM, isolated after the yugoslavian implosion, wanted and still wants to find their own identity (the Macedonian one) for political interests only. If FYROM was located in the border of Iran, it would have been called "Persia". And Persia refers to glorious times and history. That gives weight and prestige to a new founded nation. Did you get my point?

So let's talk about a solution for the name issue which will not be a solution at the end... FYROM will become probably "the Republic of North Macedonia" and will have the right to be called themselves (principe of autodetermination) "Macedonians" and will have their own language called "macedonian" or "makedonski" too. And the greek region will be called Macedonia or maybe "South Macedonia" and will have the same right to be called "Macedonia". So at the end, who will be able to distinguish the "Greek" Macedonians from the "slavo-bulgaro-albanic" Macedonians?
No one! That is certainly not the geographic qualifier that would help if you followed my reasoning... On the contrary, expect the amalgam to exist for some more decades...

This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained не е по темата на статията

Breek Mqacedonian Supremacy
with all respects due
You sound like those idiots Gruevski, Risto Stefov, and most of DiasporA fanatics
Nobody and i mean nobody rationaal enough can contest that Phiilp and
Alexander were Hellenes.
I think we must hope that someday
soon enough Gruevski to step down
and or to adopt a more realistic
politique de rapprochement and
let the usual fanatic politucs he mantains misleaded by the Diaspora
FYROM HAS A LOT MORE SEVERE PROBLEMS TO SOLVE THAN [...]

Read the full comment THE SCHIZOID OBSESION OF BEING DESCENDANT OF ALEXANDER
THE GREAT.
MANY OF THE REASONABLE POSTS HERE DO JUSTIFY MY STATEMENT.

Peggy - are you seriously saying that you don't understand French ?

I always had the impression that educated people the world over were capable of speaking at least some French. Obviously once one gets into the southern hemisphere this is not the case.....

Aries and I were merely speculating about Dora Bakoyannis' somewhat statesque and imposing presence, and suggesting that you might just cast a similar visual impression upon those around you. No more than that, and it's hardly an insult (much as you will probably take it that way !) [...]

Read the full comment

With regret, I have to point out to "Greek Macedonia Supremacy" that the German spokesman he quotes is actually called "Wieczorek".

This means "little evening" - in Polish, not German !

This illustrated how people with high office in one country can actually originate from another one, or "assimilate" even if they are of a different ethnic origin

Such is widely thought to have happened with Philip /Alexander and the Hellenised Macedonian kings, whose ethnic origin was non-Hellene (probably Illyrian).

Who is going to [...]

Read the full comment be the first to point this out to Herr Doktor Wieczorek (or more accurately, Pan Wieczorek Docent in his original language and culture)

Dobry wieczor, everyone. (I always said Polish was a useful language to have learned !)

Some more scholar sources about the hellenic identity of Macedonia:

"Mannheim, Germany - The head of a German museum which is set to show an exhibition about Alexander the Great weighed into a dispute between Skopje and Athens on Friday, saying the ancient leader had been predominantly Greek.

The modern state of Macedonia, where the main language is a Slavic one, claims the heritage of ancient Macedonia.

'Alexander was predominantly Greek and definitely not an ancestor of contemporary Slavic Macedonians,' said Alfried Wieczorek, head of the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums [...]

Read the full comment in the southern German city of Mannheim.

The exhibition devoted to the ancient general and ruler, who lived from 356 to 323 BC, opens on Saturday and runs till February 21.

For two decades, Athens has been objecting to its northern neighbour calling itself Macedonia. Skopje has named its airport after Alexander and insists on having Alexander's 'star of Vergina' symbol on its coat of arms.

In an interview with the German Press Agency dpa, Wieczorek said, 'The latest research shows very clearly yet again that the Macedonians in the days of Alexander were closely related to the contemporary Greeks.'

He added, 'In antiquity, Greeks and Macedonians could interact because they spoke the same language.'

Athens has been insisting that the name Macedonia can only been applied to a province in its own north.

The country of Macedonia became independent in 1991 when Yugoslavia split up. The name issue has held up efforts to bring the new country into NATO and into formal assocation with the European Union.

The museum director referred to findings that its population of 2 million, one quarter of them Albanian speakers and three quarters Slavic speakers, are descended from people who immigrated in the 6th century of the modern era, long after Alexander's death".

The link here: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1504631.php/German-museum-man-says-Alexander-the-Great-was-mainly-Greek

And there are dozen of other articles I could add...Almost all are saying the same thing.So...

Some hstory will help understand the complexity of the situation in the area.
The existence of the ancient town of Lychnidos is linked to Cadmus who founded the town of Lychnidos on the shores of Lake Ohrid .
The First Bulgarian Empire played a major role in European politics and was one of the strongest military powers of its time. In 717–718 the coalition of Byzantines and Bulgarians decisively defeated the Arabs in the siege of Constantinople thus saving Eastern Europe from the threat of an Arab invasion and Muslim conquest of Europe.
Later [...]

Read the full comment on the same coalition,
Byzantine and Bulgarian,
destroyed the Avar Khanate expanding its territory to the Pannonian p111lain.
Ohrid was the capital of the Bulgarian Empire. From 990 to 1018 Ohrid was also the seat of the Bulgarian patriarchate . After the byzantine conquest of the city in 1018, the patriarchate was converted to Archbishopric under the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
The higher clergy after 1018 was almost invariably Greek, including during the period of Ottoman domination, until the abolition of the archbishopric in 1767.
At the beginning of the 16th century the archbishopric reached its peak subordinating the Sofia, Vidin, Vlach , Moldavian eparchies and part of the former Pec Patriarchate.
As an episcopal city, Ohrid was an important cultural center. Almost all surviving 365 churches were built by the Byzantines and by the Bulgarians, the rest of them date back to the short time of Serbian rule during the late Middle Ages.
Ohrid is the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet, which was most probably created by St. Clement of Ohrid that further reformed the Glagolic alphabet created in turn by the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius.
In the 13th and 14th century the city changed hands between the Despotate of Epirus, the Bulgarian, the Byzantine and the Serbian Empires.
At the end of the 14th century it was conquered by the Ottomans and remained under them until 1912.
By The end of 19th century Ohrid had 2409 houses with 11900 inhabitants out of which 45% were Muslim while the rest was mainly Orthodox Christian. Before 1912, Ohrid (Achris in Greek) was bounded to Monastir sanjak in Monastir province (present-day Bitola).

Yes possibly the modern Macedonians are remnants of the 6th century migrations. It is though impossible to prove from which part of those slav migrants the modern Macedonians could originate. When one looks at the linguistic, culinary, dress costume, and dnace traditions of ORO, one can see a definite Bulgarian character. The level of Serbo-Croatian input is miniscule regardless that the post wwII linguists tried to purify the Macedonian lamguage of any connection ultimately it failed. All modern Slav linguists (except for our governments hired hands like V. Friedman who is probably the only lingusit with any political gain) have [...]

Read the full comment denounced any assumption that modern Macedonian is a separate language in its own right. Take me and my family for example who have lived in Ohrid for the last 17 generations. Whenever our relatives visit from Plovdiv which is in central Bulgaria we have always conversed without any difficulty although here our government calls the language Macedonian while we can speak equally fluent Bulgarian. Why the issue? When our first leader Gligirov had visits in Bulgaria he insisted on interpreters who at one episode at a conference in Sofia said "yes sir (to Gligorov) I do understand that you want us here to translate to you, but please sir they are speaking the same language which our mothers speak to us." When this came out on the media Gligorov had it censored before it could reach Macedonian Media circles, but failed and it ran for about 1 week before it was pulled of air because of the conservatives jingoistic reaction. Macedonians have always known to have Bulgarian roots, the problem is there are those among us who choose to accept but make no fuss about it and those who reject it on the basis that we are a unique Balkan peoples with an ancient continuity (Bulllcrap of course) but what do you say to people who are easily swayed by identity politics. By the way you's are right about the dispora they behind the push for our Ancient Identity. Every year they come here to Ohrid to swim in our beautiful waters and they rave on about their ancient history. The good thing is they leave money so let the idiots say what they want. Ohrid is home to the biggest Bulgarian population in Macedonia we are over 69% of the district, so I guess we can live under the ancient idiots noses forever since we speak the same language.

It's apparent from reading your blogs and arguements from all sides that the area known as Macedonia had a multi cultured society since ancient times, with a different culture in power at different times. It seems to me the underlying problem with the name dispute comes from the hate and racism found on all sides. Once these issues are cleared up I feel the name issue will be resolved.

Epaminondas, if you are going to refer to me in any way I would appreciate you write it in English.

Why do you think I should be commenting here?

Oh, dear Epaminondas, please read this article, will you:

"Skopje may continue the already two-decades-long battle over the right to use the name Macedonia, but history is clearly on the side of Athens, a scholar said this week.

At the core of the strife is the national identity of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian conqueror from the 4th century BC.

“Alexander was basically a Greek and in no case a forefather of today’s Slavic Macedonians,” the director of Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, Alfred Wieczorek, told the German Press Agency DPA. [...]

Read the full comment “Macedonians and Greeks understood each others, as they spoke the same language.”

The exhibition “Alexander the Great and the Opening of the World” opened on Friday at the museum. It offers insight into the short life of one among the ancient world’s greatest leaders.

Before he died in 323 BC, aged just 32, Alexander stormed the southeastern Mediterranean and sliced through the Persian empire, leaving a massive cultural and historical legacy in his wake.

Slavs began arriving from Asia in the 6th century, a millennium after Alexander died. These were the predecessors of Slavic Macedonians, who represent a three-quarter majority in the former Yugoslav republic".

I think that says everything... Source is there: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=318653&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Epaminondas
Je ne sais pas pou notre amie Peggy
j'en suis certain au cas de Dora
bien tassee mon vieux
Merci.

Aries - un grand merci ! Qu'est-ce que tu imagines par <<soutien>>?

Moi j'ai en tete l'idee que ce'est une <<soutien-gorge>> des dimensions enormes, avec 'beaucoup du monde au balcon', ce qui conviendra au meme temps Dora Bakonyannis et notre chere amie Peggy....

Epaminondas
Merci pour votre support(le mot soutien peux etre misinterprete)
Agree upon POINTS B C D but not on point A
Correct about Macedonia prima and
Maceodonia Secunda.The Byzatine empire and the sacking of Constanipole by the Crusade
under the benevolence of the Vatican (pope Inocent) And Venice which in turn lead to the Fall of Constantinope in 1453 to The Turks hence all the disasters brought to the Balkans the muslim enclaves in Kossovo Bosnia and Fyrom. the Great Albania Crap the Chameria crap prospect issue just to name [...]

Read the full comment a few. Ccorrect though somewhat of minor importance point c.
About thwe last point I think that "Republic of Nothern Macedonia" has the geographic qualifier" needed the only thing
remaoning must be Gruevski's permanent idiocy very difficult caae driven by the Diaspora and their Risto Stefov propaganda machine.
About time to let down over-nationalistic premises on both sides and to seek something better for the good of both sides of the border.
I too have a root in Monastir(BItola) and in Florina(Lerin).

Oh dear, Greek Macedonia Supremacy, just read a bit of history, will you (I set out some just a few posts below.) Briefly:

(a) Greece does NOT own the exclusive right to the name "Macedonia" - the Romans took it away from them rather thoroughly in 146 BC when they deported the entire Greek/Hellenic population of 'Macedonia' to Thrace.

(b) subsequently there were two "successor states" set up by the Romans, both called 'Macedonia'. Both were later absorbed by the Byzantine Empire, and still later conquered by the Ottoman Turks.
[...]

Read the full comment
(c) FYROM is incorrect. As laid down by the UN, it should be "fYRoM" (or EYRdM in French).

(d) 121 out of 182 UN member-nations have now accepted use of the term "Republic of Macedonia", i.e. a majority. The 61 remaining UN nations who have not yet accepted this include such world-renowned major powers as Republic of Comoros, Republic of San Morino, Grand Duchy of Liechtenstein, and Republic of Zimbabwe.

I agree Gruevski is an idiot, but best to get real and accept that a compromise (probably "Republic of Northern Macedonia) is shortly going to be agreed, or - if not, under the Treaty of Lisbon - imposed.

I agree 1000000000% with George!Something that we both dont see its that in the end the muslims and to be more specific the Turks are going to be the winners.I really dont know how we reached to this point.The thing is that people in the Vardar Macedonia must WAKE UP.I know that its not their fault,i know that the problem starts from the diaspora,and from some people who are earning millions from all this and who play the Patriotic game but what i do know from my cusins is that the majority of the young people are starting to wake [...]

Read the full comment up.Specially in the last years its happening and this is very good.I dont want any winners or loosers we live side by side we must move to the future.Do u know how it is to have an uncle in a football match being on the other side of the fans?Cause this is what happened 10 years ago.But if u had ask him then he would say,im Greek im Macedonian but i hate Greece!!It was maddnes really.But as my father told me this what they did to him its not his fault.Thank god he woke up with the years.We MUST move to the future,diaspora is living thousand of miles away they will have no impact if anything happens.

Macedonia is and will be only used by the Greek people. Greece owns the exclusive right of being called Macedonians, not the Skopjo-Vardaskians who are not the inheritors of Alexander the Great.
That's why a solution will and has to never been found and the statu quo will remain for the next decades. FYROM will be always the international use of this country, no further compromise can be expected.

PASOK - Aries is indeed right: Bakoyannis is indeed a woman, so she is a "she", who might best be described as 'tall, statuesque, and with a plethoric bosom (en francais: "il y a beaucoup du monde au balcon" ). Somehow, I think Peggy should be commenting here.....

Lublje Dimov is also right: it would be very helpful if both sides could forget Alexander Megalos / Aleksandr Veliki, as what happened in 330 BC is not relevant now to either side (and please rename Skopje Airport to something less controversial: St Paul might do as he [...]

Read the full comment visited Macedonia after the Hellenic period was over: the Bible says so !)

If Macedonia (both the Greek bit and the "fYRoM" bit) wants an accurate and non-controversial precedent in ancient history, the arrangements under the Roman Empire would suit very well. Greek Macedonia was "Macedonia Prima", and "fYRoM" Macedonia was "Macedonia Salutaris" (='healthy'), later "Macedonia Secunda".

If nothing else, this gives a non-controversial precedent in later Ancient History for the existence of two separate "Macedonias" whose boundaries were very much the same as today's.

Spaeking for all the Macedonian diaspora, we will never give up our name. Aleksander Veliki was the best general in the world and we the Macedonians were and are the best soldiers. No one can stop us especially no little Grcki, little bulgarski. Macedonia will one day lead the world. If you want to see the truth watch the Macedonian Prayer on utube to see how great we are. And for all you Macedonian traitors you will all cook in hell. In Australia we are the biggest minority especially in Melbourne we outnumber the Greeks at least 10 to 1 [...]

Read the full comment so all this crap that Melbourne has biggest Greek community outside Greece is Hogwash. Macedonia for the Macedonians!

Ivana
There are many of us here in Bitola who also believe in our Bulgarian roots Ivana, so it's not only ancient thinking people here. The problem is no-one openly proclaims their Bulgarian identity because we would never get work anywhere. Yes we are Macedonians, but here in Bitola many praise Nikola Karev who openly declared "that it is us Bulgarians of Macedonia who have finally freed our beloved Macedonia and all its different Macedonian peoples from the shackles of tyranny". This man who's testimony is written in the archives of Skopje has been denied his rightful place [...]

Read the full comment in our Macedonian History because many of our intellectualls believe he was to Bulgarian leaning. Actually you intellectuals he wasn't leaning towards Bulgarianess he was BULGARIAN with a proud Macedonian upbringing. So Ivana not all of us in Macedonia are belonging to that Aleksander Veliki club of Gruevski and his diaspora. We believe in our Macedonian roots from our Bulgarian forefathers Gotse Delchev, Dame Gruev, Jane Sandanski, Boris Sarafov, and of course our beloved Nikola Karev, the only man with the courage to hold up the Bulgarian Flag in Krushevo for 1 month before the Turks burnt the place. The years will come when our confused Narod will look into recent history for our origins and leave the ancient world to the historians.

As a Macedonian i respect the Greek culture, everyone in Macedonia and Greece are blind to the big picture. We fight for the sake of a name and what nationallity was Alexander the Great 2400 years ago. We are both orthodox in religion and we share alot together in history and present.

The big picture here is that Macedonia is under attack from the Albanians which are muslims and Greece is under threat from the Turks which are muslims as well. The way Macedonia and Greece are going there would'nt be anything left to fight for [...]

Read the full comment cos the muslims will take everything. The muslims took Kosovo and we as orthodox just stood back and watched our fellow orthodox Serbs loose Kosovo.

Wake up, weather your Macedonian or Greek or both it's time to open your eyes and see. The Muslims are like a virus, they have 7 wifes and 27 kids. Greater Albania will become a fact if we continue to fight about a name or a hero that no longer exist.

I also come from Lerin and although we do speak the same language with those from over the border the difference is some think of themselves as Macedonians from Bulgarian origins, while other Slav-speaking Macedonians from the other side of the border think of themselve somewhat confusingly as descendents of Aleksander Veliki. his is thanks to GruevsKi's politics trying to fabricate historical continuity with the ancient world of our macedonian neighbours of Greek origin. Risto Stefov speaks in his tormented way that if Gruevski compromises on the name issue those of us who live in Greece will lose our Macedonian [...]

Read the full comment identity. It is IDIOTS like Stefov who confuse the local and diaspora alike applying his idiotic views on others. He has extended family who advocate openly their Bulgarian origins and all he can say is that they have been brainwashed. Thats why the idiot doesn't come here because most Macedonians who continue to live here think he is the biggest hobo in Canada living of everyone and has never worked a full day in his life. Apparently the word is that his hands are so soft he would become an excellent hairdresser possibly for his friends Gruevski and co. Oh well some people certainly have an easy life, Must be good to live off your countrymen. Here in Lerin they call him the Parasite. I wonder Why?

Aires

I dont know what you are writing,and honestly i think that something serius its wrong with you brain!!First you responce to me in Greek,then you re judging my english(as if i give a shit LOL!!)then you write something like this is a very respected site(why the fact that i called it Boulgarian its an insult for you???),then you want to post in a Greek site(why??LOL!!) but the whole point is this.You are giving wrong hopes to this people,and you simply dont get it.People like you create the whole problem.Btw im from Florina(lerin)i have relatives on [...]

Read the full comment the Vardar side,you are talking about things and issues that you dont know.Macedonians from here and from the other side have no problem in generally speaking,but on the other side they are poisoned with the Makedonism and this MUST finish.the problem was Bakogiannis and is Gruevski.Please let it go and stop writing bulsit and things that you dont understant!!This is what pisses me off that people like you write any theoretic bulsit that comes in their mind and worst its that they are trying to full the others too.Go go Giorkaki!!

Pasoka.
If you think that calling me KARAGIOZ insulted me you are wrong
Karagioz is a source and figure of wisdom under the first impression of comedy. I wish Loverdos good luck if he finally appointed as
Foreign Ministeri i have read
his statement in the "diplomatia' By the way, wise guy, if you hate english as you said: how come is that you posted in english in the first place (show off) the boulgariko site AS YOU CALL IT IS A VERY RESPECTED SITE to post on Balkan s and international [...]

Read the full comment issues
if you wish na sou tin peso on a Greek site with pLeasure , just name it pal and i'll be there.
Meanwhile relax
Cheers from Athens.

The trouth is that i hate english!!But tell me my profesor what is sitarion??Tora ti itheles na mou tin peis gia ta Agglika se ena boulgariko site??Karagkiozi!!!Btw Dora does not look like a SHE it looks like a HE!!The thing is(and sorry for writing whatever)that its a big lie and a BIG hypcricy to say to a citizen of Fyrom that anything will change.The only thing that will change its that from now own we will have a foreign ministry!!Cheers from Macedonia!!

Pasoka.
Who talked about an easier situarion.
kouna to kefali sou na deis pos koudounizei.
(nod your head left right and see if it rings)
If you cannot distinguish a he from a she and WHAT A SHE!!! A SIX foot one with a plethoric bosssom but could be off without
the foregn ministry the only thing to be said is or have your eyesight checked or your english checked before poating
smart Guy !!!
Cheers

To prophecy, I told you Costa would lose !!! The name issue will now be resolved.

If you people thing that anything at all regarding this issue will change then you have totally lost it!!Not only nothing will change,this is a national issue its the only issue that all the parties in Greece were united.From now own things will get harder fro Fyrom not better.The biggest nightmare that the Macedonians and basically and the rest of the Greeks had,was that Bakogiannis would continue be in the foreign affair ministry.He was usseles!!Things will change but only for the best of Greece.From now onw lets play shall we?? :-)!!!

A tradition voter of Pasok!! [...]

Read the full comment

Aries - yes you are right. "Hopefully" Gruevski's regime will stop all the extremist nonsense being advocated by the Macedonian diaspora, and will try to come to a sensible compromise with the new Papandreou Greek government, in which they at least don't have to deal with brain-challenged Bakoyannis ...."hopefully", but since when did common-sense ever reign or prevail in the Balkans ?

INDEED the situation is difficult to extricate a decent solution for both sides .Certainly not solvable with ultra-nationalistic views based on false historical evidence, if fYRoM ruling Gruevski-party or coalition continues to rely on The Diaspora for Financial Support I am afraid that the issue will go on for ever ,the problem pertains to focusing on economic development primarily and not harassing your neighbors with mind-game nonsense opposed to logic. << if you want to exist>> as stated in another post by Eppaminondas.
As for my previous post in Latin
<<Credulous hope supports our life and [...]

Read the full comment always says that tomorrow will be better>>
Tibullus.
And another geek definition of quagmire is
The virtual machine has one work register which can be copied to or from memory, or used for processing, sometimes in conjunction with a memory address. Addresses are always two bytes long, and indexed in X Y coordinates.

Ivana has a good point in saying that with Karamanlis there were always going to be personal issues about Macedonia, as his (distinctly dynastic) family comes from the region. And, as we all know, Balkan and family memories have a very long life....

The Macedoninan is out, now its up to the socialists. Atanas, with Karamanlis there was always going to be identity issues. He himself comes from a line of Macedonians who have lived alongside our Slavic brothers for centuries. To have Macedonians of both Slavic and Greek backgrounds isn't the problem but rather the nationalists on both sides who believe that their version of Macedonian identity is correct. I come from Lerin (Florina) and our Slavic roots have never given us problems as Macedonians. But their are those among our community who denounce their Slavic origin for the Nazi style antiquisation [...]

Read the full comment of our people over the border in Macedonia. So who is right or wrong depends on the individual who chooses whether they like having a Slavic pedigree in their identity or prefer to have the Ancient one coming into direct conflict with the Macedonian Greeks. In Lerin we are happy as Macedonians and who have Slavic origins with Greek citizenship, why should it bother us. Thats why none of our Macedonian people ever vote for the idiots from Vinozhito who have Nazi style propaganda claiming we are all suffering. It is all fabricated to get regional and international attention. If we were persecuted as the Vinozhito claim they would have got far more than their 3000 votes they received. No-one wants them here anymore thats why Voskopoulos spends more time over the border in Bitola or overseas in Canada than they have here in 2009. They have failed to win support among our people here in Lerin and now they are going to the diaspora to drum up support and much needed cash to continue their propaganda. We say No to the Hypocrites!

Hopefully there can finally be an end to the name issue. We in Macedonia need solutions and with a new government in Greece there may be some way out of this quagmire.

Credula vitam spes fovet et medius
cras fore semper dicit.
TIBULLUS.