EU’s history testifies that people inside their human nature are pacific. Whereas the aim to join this constructive state’s union, shows the formed consciousness of nations as political creatures. Knowledge about the Region is a precondition to build the awareness, and its fruit is responsibility feeling that all citizens need to have. As the world became a global village, integration in EU is a clear necessity. Thus, any delay in solving dispute issues between Western Balkan countries is more than unjustifiable. Simply because “It is time to build bridges in Western Balkans, not to destroy them. To open borders, not to close them. To restore relations and trade links, not to sever them” as Romano Prodi said (Prodi’s Speech for EU-Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki, June 21, 2003).
Now let’s see into the Republic of Macedonia, as widely known for instance, is waiting to integrate! Firstly let’s remind that Greek’s request for the Macedonian state to change its actual name was accepted internationally since the year 1992! One million Greeks protested, ready to fight even. For this reason international community was constantly sending diplomatic representatives, but without results. Greece wasn’t accepting any proposal that contained the word “Macedonia”, nor “Central Balkans Republic” nor “Republic of Macedonia (Skopje)”. “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (FYROM) was chosen to be a temporary compromise, only after the American mediation. While de jure relationship normalization was reached in 1995, when the attention was set in Deyton Agreement, de facto Greece just started increasing its pressure… Anyway, it is a fact that Greece and FYROM didn’t resolve this problem yet. Even if political leaders state that they aim EU integration, 12 years later they are not strong enough to realize it! All this time that none deferred at all, accusing each-other of being stubborn! Not having courage to offend Macedonians’ antiquity, for whose building they can invest everything they have, there is something wiser that can be done – Just like a real mother remises from her son for his best, nation’s leaders have to remise from their useless pride! Many years ago people found ways to soften beasts, or to go to Moon, so it’s ridiculous and embarrassing at the same time for the two neighbors to be unable to make a compromise, especially while they both pretend of being civilized nations!
Secondly, we should not forget that FYROM separated peacefully from Yugoslav Federation and proclaimed its independence due to the referendum. Meantime its fully boycott by autochthonous Albanians, who are majority in their territory blurs the democratic character of this referendum, its legitimacy. While forming Acts of The Kruševo Republic, The Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia’s documents and The Constitution of 1974 year guaranteed state-building status of Albanians… the nationalist character of The Constitution of 2001 year and the extreme discrimination gave birth to the conflict between National Liberation Army (NLA) and The Macedonian armed forces. This conflict ended by signing Ohrid Frame Agreement, yet unimplemented. However the imprisonment of more than 100 soldiers of NLA, Sopot’s case, The case of the journalist from Kumanovo, Brodec’s case, Encyclopedia’s case, The murder of Harun Ali with his friends, Project “Skopje 2014”, beating Albanian students in buses, and “Monster” case are still harming the democratic element of this multiethnic, multi-religious, multicultural country. So the protests of July weren’t random. Especially when those who protested in proper way, also knew the reason why they were doing it.
Of course Macedonian authorities’ indifference in removing the above described barriers puts in doubt their desire of the EU integration. What simply makes Macedonia to look like a junior in trouble that has asked a generous elder for help, but now refuses to take off his mucky shoes and get inside the elders’ house? It really seems like Macedonia is not interested to integrate in EU! Someone may unsurprisingly wonder if Macedonia said “NO” to EU!!! But either way it seems, the investment of the entire capacity in dead things, made us all aware that for how long we stay outside the EU we are surely the most damaged. We can’t feed our stomachs with beautiful tales after all! Our silence is in EU and we are all responsible to achieve this silence as soon as possible!
