Macedonian Language

Despite being pressured by the moderator and Zaev to say whether his party will honour the agreement if it comes to power, the main opposition leader refused to answer.

This chasm between the country’s name on the one hand and its ethnicity and language on the other leaves a bitter taste for almost all Greek citizens

The agreement recognises that that country is inhabited by Macedonians and not North Macedonians and that they speak Macedonian and not a South Slavic language.

'You accuse us of ceding [the status of] a people. Mr. Mitsotakis, you cannot cede something that you do not have. We did not have a Macedonian language.'

'Our intention is to inform every single Greek citizen on all aspects of the agreement so that they can judge lucidly whether the agreement serves our national interests or not,' the statement read.

Zaev has offered assurances – in an effort to calm Greek fears of backpedaling - that the agreement cannot change in the future.

The PM’s remarks were widely viewed as a bid to calm the public and MPs who were positive about ratifying the accord but expressed second thoughts.

'The government and the prime minister can no longer stand on sidelines as passive observers. They have a duty, even now, to assume their responsibilities,' said ND's shadow foreign minister.

Zaev himself essentially put on the table an issue of a “Macedonian minority” in Greece.

Alternate Foreign Minister Yorgos Katrougalos responds to FYROM PM Zoran Zaev’s remark that in the future the 'Macedonian language' may be taught in Greek schools.

The minutes of meetings in FYROM reveal that Tsipras and Kotzias had agreed for FYROM to be renamed “Republic of Ilinden Macedonia”, and yet the government has gone on the offensive on issues of minor significance.