New North Macedonia president reignites spat with Greece at her inauguration ceremony

(12 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Skopje, North Macedonia - 12 May 2024
1. New President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, arriving at parliament for inauguration
2. Pan of lawmakers and guests during singing of national anthem
3. Various of Siljanovska-Davkova taking oath
4. Siljanovska-Davkova taking presidential oath UPSOUND (Macedonian): "I declare that I will perform conscientiously and responsibly the function of President of the Republic of Macedonia. My words are struggling with my emotions, I admit. I will be a president to the left and to the right side as well.”++INCLUDES CUTAWAY OF HRISTIJAN MICKOSKI, LEADER OF CENTER-RIGHT VMRO DPMNE PARTY++
5. Various of honour guard soldiers at North Macedonian Presidential Palace
6. Incumbent President, Stevo Pendarovski, walking downstairs
7. Siljanovska-Davkova and Pendarovski stand for national anthem
8. Siljanovska-Davkova and Pendarovski shaking hands
9. Various of Siljanovska-Davkova and Pendarovski during talks
10. Siljanovska-Davkova leaving
STORYLINE:
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was sworn as the first female president of North Macedonia on Sunday and immediately reignited a diplomatic spat with neighbouring Greece.
At the ceremony in the country’s Parliament, Siljanovska-Davkova referred to her country as “Macedonia,” rather than the constitutional name “North Macedonia.”
This prompted Greece’s Ambassador to Skopje, Sophia Philippidou, to leave the inauguration ceremony.
The Greek Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying that the new president’s actions violated an agreement between the two nations and put in danger both bilateral relations and North Macedonia’s prospects of joining the European Union.
The use of the name “Macedonia” provokes a strong Greek reaction, with Greece accusing its northern neighbour of appropriating a Greek name and the history of the Ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedonia, which existed centuries before Slavic people, such as the contemporary ethnic Macedonians, arrived in the area.
The decades-old dispute was resolved in 2018, when both sides signed an agreement and the constitutional name “North Macedonia” was adopted.
Greece then lifted its objection to North Macedonia joining NATO and applying for membership in the European Union.
Siljanovska-Davkova is the sixth president since the tiny Balkan country gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
She was sworn in before the outgoing Parliament.
After taking the oath in Parliament, a handoff ceremony took place in front of the President’s official residence.
Siljanovska-Davkova, a lawmaker in the outgoing Parliament and a university professor and lawyer, was the candidate of the centre-right coalition led by the VMRO-DPMNE and defeated incumbent president Stevo Pendarovski with 69% of the vote in last Wednesday’s runoff.
Turnout was 47.47%, above the 40% threshold required to make the election valid and avoid a repeat vote.
Siljanovska-Davkova and Pendarovski had also squared off in 2019.
AP video by Boris Grdanoski
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Alexander the Great, King of the Macedonians, was born of Greek parents (Philip II and Olympias), in ancient Pella, which belonged to Greece. He was Greek. He had Aristotle as a teacher. He believed in the 12 Gods of Olympus. He spoke and wrote Greek. The same language and writing that we use today in Greece. That's why MACEDONIA is GREEK and MACEDONIANS are GREEKS