EU Urged Macedonia to Take Steps After Failed Referendum

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Despite the fact that less than half of the voters participated in the referendum, the parliament in Skopje should amend the constitution to rename Macedonia, the European Commission said. After the failed referendum on accession of Macedonia to the EU and NATO and renaming of the country, the European Commission called on Skopje to take further steps, despite the invalid results of the voting due to insufficient turnout. The overwhelming majority of the country’s citizens who came to the polling stations voted in favor of resolving the conflict with Greece, the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Monday, October 1. “The Parliament will now be called upon to proceed with the next steps for the implementation of the name agreement by deciding on the adoption of the constitutional changes” –the joint statement by Mogherini and Hahn reads. Representatives of the Brussels Office called on all Macedonian politicians to act within their constitutional responsibilities beyond party political lines. “This is a historic opportunity not only for reconciliation in the region, but also for decisively moving the country forward on its European Union path” – the statement stressed. At the same time, according to Mogherini and Hahn, the European Union will continue to fully support and accompany the country, its institutions and all its citizens. The statement also points out that the referendum was conducted in a peaceful and democratic vote. The referendum was declared invalid Only 37% of the 1.8 million voters took part in the referendum the day before. To recognize the referendum valid, more than 50% of the country’s citizens who had the right to vote must have voted. 91% of the voters supported the Prespa Agreement with Greece on renaming the country to the Republic of Northern Macedonia and joining the EU and NATO. The question at the referendum was: “Do you support joining the EU and NATO, agreeing with the treaty between Macedonia and Greece?”. The referendum was only advisory, so now the discussions about renaming the country will continue in the country’s parliament. To make a decision, two thirds of deputies are needed. So far, supporters of the renaming have failed to collect these votes in parliament. If successful, Greece would stop blocking the rapprochement of this Balkan country with the EU and NATO. Greece’s claims are related to the fact that a large region in the north of the country is also called Macedonia. DW