Thousands protest possible change of Macedonia’s name

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Several thousand protesters in Macedonia have demanded that the government call off ongoing talks with neighbouring Greece over a decades-long name dispute.

Civic organizations joined under the motto “We are Macedonia” to organize a rally in the capital, Skopje, on Sunday.

They are urging the government not to agree to any changes to the country’s name and to protect the Macedonian national identity and language.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s 9-month-old centre-left government has opened negotiations to resolve Greece’s assertion that Macedonia’s name in its current form implies a territorial claim against its own region with the same name.

Zaev has said he could accept a “geographical qualifier” — such as “Vardar”, “upper” or “north” — as a compromise, but insists the new name must “respect the dignity” of Macedonia’s people.