The Macedonian debate centres on the status of Macedonian and the conflicting opinions of the pro-Macedonians, pro-Bulgarians & pro-Greeks.
Macedonia is one of five new countries that emerged from the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991. The Republic of Macedonia has a population of 2m ,its capital is Skopje. It covers 9600 square miles, landlocked by Greece, Serbia- Montenegro, Bulgaria and Albania.
The population is two- thirds Macedonian, with the remainder made up of several ethnic groups, principally Albanians. The Republic of Macedonia is sometimes called FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). Countries that have recognized Macedonia, include the US, China and Russia, and refer to it as Macedonia, whereas Greece and some other countries call it FYROM.
Macedonia is also the name of a much larger geographical region, 26,000 square miles, that includes not only the Republic of Macedonia, but also three peripheries (political subdivisions) in Greece, called West, Central and East Macedonia, as well as a part of Bulgaria. Greeks claim that the name Macedonia refers properly only to the part of this region that lies within Greece, and, in the early 90's, actually mounted an embargo against the Republic of Macedonia for its use of that name, This became an issue that helped lead to the downfall of former Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis at the hands of hardliner Andreas Papandreou.
Macedonians claim that Greeks wrested control of their part of the region in the Second Balkan War of 1913, and that the Macedonian population remaining in Greece constitutes a captive element. Greeks outlawed the Macedonian language and required submission to the Greek Orthodox Church.
There are a number of difficulties involved in the Macedonian question. One issue is the legacy of Alexander the Great. The question is whether the ancient Macedonians were Greeks. The Greek point of view is that the Macedonians were just another subdivision of the Greek, or Hellenic, people, like the Athenians and the Spartans.
The modern Macedonian view is that the ancient Macedonians, from whom they claim cultural and ethnic descent, were a people distinct from the Greeks. They further maintain that the Greeks, upon gaining their independence from the Turks in the 1830's, began creating the mythos of their own direct lineage from Hellenistic Greece,.
Greeks argue that, since the modern Macedonian language is a Slavic language and since, according to their view, the Slavs arrived many centuries after Alexander's time, the modern Macedonians cannot be the descendants of the ancient Macedonains.
If Greece were to recognize Macedonia fully, it would legitimize Macedonian ownership of the legacy of Alexander, which Greeks feel is rightly their own. And Greek acceptance of the name of Macedonia would be acknowledging that Macedonians constitute a nationality in their own right. This would lead to the conclusion that Macedonians, in and out of Greece, are entitled to a unified homeland, which would be the greater Macedonia that includes the three Greek peripheries.
The Macedonian debate continues.
garye
7 Comments
I hear many EU representatives refere to the debate as "Macedonians must settle this debate with Greece
This coments sound to me very ignorant. Nobody wants to mention that this is not macedonian
problem. Yet, Macedonians have to fight arogance which with out sapport.
Western historians while explaining Macedonian ancient history, can not do it with out
mentioning Greece in every second sentonce. I cheked ancient maps and the nations of old,
and found no Greece. The point being when Greece is mentioned, it is done as we see it to be today.
Thus historians mix up peoples concept of what is ancient and what is now., as ancient.
When Greece claims Macedonia to be Greek, a mental picture is created about Greece in antiquity
as is now. This is what I argue against, and only few understand.
Greek governament has bin lying to its Greek citisent for to long.
How can our children adducate themselves with such conflict. Children will fight.
We don't want that. Truth has to be established and freely spoken about.
At the moment all is Greek. Yet i try as I may I can not manage to find Greece in antiquity
as country or nation. Macedonians are not mentioned as people with history costoms and
heritage worthy of their heritag. We only hear Alexandar the grate and suddenly
Macedonians becom Slavs. Church wise and history wise.
Slavs sime to be exepted as a nation, while Macedonians disapeared as if Macedonians
stoped having sex after Alexandar the grate death.
Further, why R., of Mac., gov., alows Bulgar propaganda to even egsist.
They clame , for political reason of spite, that in Macedonia live one milion two hundred
thousand Bulgars, and thus mixing up genuan people who are serching for truth.
I don't belive nobody can stop this outragious criminal behavior.
Talking about terorisam, Ha! There is all cind of teror R. of Mac. alows its influence.
Iwould sue Greece, Bulgars, EU , for deformation of historic facts, excetera.....
and that is not all Macedonia can survive with out EU,Greece, Bulgars excetera, but
can not do so with out its Farmers. So, look after your farmers.
There is one thing I can not understand.
Historicaly speaking, Macedonians have been setlers on their land, before all other nations
which surround it, yet all those new nations, come of late, do not recoganise Macedonians.
Going as far as calling them Slavs. Saying that this old nation speaks Slavic language.
When I see, that all those newis must have picked up Macedonian, not other way around.
How can this mix up be saported by historians?
I mean, to call Macedonians that which they are not and never were. Slavs or Bulgars, or
Greeks. Yet, nobody cals them Srbians. Seing that Srbs derive from Slavic tribes.
And so on we walk through mudy history with out regard and desire to fix it up.
Are historians arogant or ignorant?
If truth not be told, justice can not be done and peace does not exist.
It is simple as one two three.
Powers of Europe in 1913 divided Macedonian land.
Today EU exepted those countrys as its members, who
contributed to the division, as well as those who were with nacy germany.
This truth binds them in not exepting the recognition of Macedonians.
They all pretend that Macedonian nation does not exist.
How easely is to recoganise the reason Macedonians have no
power of negotiation.
Telling the truth is considered insolt and provocation.
Justice can not be served to those who do not recoganise truth.
Macedonians are acused for not giving in.
So, the mediators are playing this game concocted by some
who know the truth, but are hiding it, by naging Macedonians
into submision. They are crazy.
I find as well that Macedonians are reluctant to speak out.
Macedonian historiand,mixed up about the fact,who are Slavs,
thus giving in to Greek and Bulgarian coments on the subject.
G,B's are playing footsy with Macedonians.
Macedonian citysens are convinsed that, being Bulgar citysen is
more beneficial. This scenario adds to truth not to be told.
Justice not to be executed, and peace to stand on shaky ground.
Justice will never be done, peace will never egsist, and truth will
be for ever hiden.
It simes to me that everione learns history by newly constructed, story teling concept
which began just before the division of Macedonian land.
Now historians are prepered to lie and cheat us from truth, by imposing on our
unprepered minds, newly cooked up "facts" of what history is saposed to be.
Thus Greeks become overnight the moust ancient of all tribes on the planet.
How old are you to belive such unlawfule statement by politicaly influenced historians?
People read and coment on ancient history by todays concept of it.
That is not right in any univers. Specialy on this planet.
I am nowhere near impressed by todays historians.
Evolution does not exist for them.
Sudden Greek Gods landed on Mt. Olimpus and created Greek civilisation and forget
about natural order of things. Well, first there were monkeys, and then humans.
Not other way around.
Come to think of it, first there were Macedonians and later come the Ellas.
Much, much, much later.
Ella-s meaning New Comers. Not a name of a nation but a word of event.
True history is there, hidden away cerfuly.
Can you cope with the truth?
Macedonian truth I descovered has roots deeply imbeded all the way to the
ancient Gods of Himalayas. And much, much, more.
Happy trails to you.
I just discovered that aldou Bulgaria recoganise R. of Macedonia, it does not recoganise
Macedonian nation. Greece and Bulgaria become partners in their demise over subject
they can not control or win with.
Dosn't all this stink on a stink bomb.
It seems the world knows the reason for all this mess but does nothing to rectifue it.
UN knows only to send soldiers in potential dengerose region, but aren't Greeks and Bulgarians
contributing to such state of events?
When will all this stop?
EU is blinded by their own incompedent actions. And god forbed if UN enters Balkan.
They did nothing in Srbian province of Kosovo.
They let Albanians to ethnicly clence Srbian vilagers from their homeland.
How can UN help Macedonians in preserving peace if Albanians in Tetovo do same as they
did before. Again EU, UN stoped Macedonian army from protecting Macedonian vilagers.
So far non of them (so far) haven't gone back home to their farms.
Is this true? So, what is this negotiation all about?
What a waist of money, time and energy.
It mixes up Macedonians and the world.
Moust of all, ME.
Many debators on subject of FYROM belive in concept of todays political chainges.
I consider Macedonians as one of the oldest ceepers of untiquity.
If name is chainged how can we tie the past with the present if we have abolished
the living conection to ancient time.
If we exept not to belive Macedonians existonce, then to whom this unic history will
be bestowed, when it rightfuly belongs to Macedonians.
Not to Bulgars or Greeks or Albanians certanly not to them.
Why? Because if as they claim to be all very ancient, why are they destroying just that
which is ancient. Macedonian nation.
They can not be considered ancient for obvious reason, being, their name does not apear
in antiquity. This new nations only boust with stolen goods.
That does not make them ancient. Yet historians write it to be so.
Have historians gone MAD?
I am reading about Alexandar the Grate in some archeological magasine and find the
concept apoling. Stupid. Incorect.
This is what my children learn in school?
When the world crumbles down the ancient foundations of Macedonia will be standing
still, waiting someone else to begin to build their new civilisation again, and again.......
This is my observation.
Maiby thats why Greeks are holding to Macedonian know how,
because Greek foundations are week.
Interesting notion Eu is sending to the world.
That there is no problem with ilegal anexation of Srbian land and
proclamation of its "independance"
Very interesting.
This I sapose will open new venues toward independant Tetovo.
Seeing that Albanians have declared dislike of their childrens
edducation in Macedonian language for first class pupils.
In other words Albanians dislike to be under Macedonian rule, like many in
Australia whose children learn English from first grade onward.
I haven't heard Albanians refusal to let their children learn English in Austral;.
So, what we have here is, disloyalty to a country in which they live.
Reason being that, unexing Tetovo will be posible if Albanians become so
disobediant , that Macedonian language will becom non grata,
and the new law which Europ is sending will promote Albanian atempt of war
in every venue posible.
Not only that Albanians are unwiling to educate themselves in language of country they live in
but they expect Macedonia to bow to their every whish. Their lazy atitude should be
put to test by asking EU for diplomatic help .
A lazy and spoiled atitude should not be administered to, under any tretening act by them.
Lets put prioritys in right order, seeing that Macedonians have bin neglected for such a
long time byGreeks, Bulgarians Albanians and ex-Yugo.,
Macedonians, wake up to reality. The unexation of your holy land has not stoped.
Do EU realize the treath Macedonia is under?
Simple me does. Albanian language is secondary. Macedonian is first and foremoust.
If that is dificult to understand, they should know, the door is open.
Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)