Tsipras Poised to Secure Ratification of Macedonian Name Deal

Jan 24 2019, 5:00 AMJan 24 2019, 9:09 AMJanuary 24 2019, 5:00 AMJanuary 24 2019, 9:09 AM

(Bloomberg) -- Greece’s parliament is expected to ratify a historic agreement with the Republic of Macedonia over the latter’s name, ending a decades-long dispute and removing an obstacle to the former Yugoslav republic joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who narrowly survived a confidence vote in government last week, looks like he will get the backing of at least 153 lawmakers in the 300-seat chamber when they vote on the accord on Thursday. That includes the 145 legislators from his own Syriza party and another eight from other parties who have indicated that they will support the accord.

With opinion polls showing the opposition New Democracy party will probably win elections due this year, ratification of the accord would leave Tsipras with a legacy after a tumultuous four years in power that almost saw the country crash out of the euro in 2015. The agreement has provoked a strong backlash in both countries.

The dispute centered on Greece’s insistence that the name “Macedonia” only applies to its northern province, the ancient stronghold of Alexander the Great. The parliament in Skopje reformed its constitution on Jan. 10 to change its name to Republic of North Macedonia, as agreed with Greece. With the agreement ratified, Greece will now support the country’s accession to NATO and the EU.

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The vote on the deal could be delayed past Thursday if New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis submits a no-confidence motion against the government, which would have to be debated first. Tsipras survived last week’s confidence vote after the leader of his coalition partner, Panos Kammenos, pulled out of the government in protest against the Macedonia accord.

Some 60,000 people marched in Greece’s capital to say that “Macedonia is Greek” in a demonstration on Sunday. It was the second such rally in Athens during the past 12 months and one of many across the country, while another rally is scheduled for Thursday.

The backlash has also wrought carnage on two small, centrist groups. Defections have reduced Potami to just three lawmakers, below the threshold of five that’s required to be recognized as a parliamentary bloc, while the Movement for Change alliance has effectively been reduced to a divided Pasok rump after the loss of its sole lawmaker from the Democratic Left party, which decided to back the deal.

EU and NATO leaders have urged both countries to follow through, calling for a positive example in a region that’s still struggling to resolve grudges from the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Europe’s most deadly conflict since World War II. If Macedonia joins NATO, the military alliance will extend its influence to a place where Russia’s presence is strong.