Greece-FYROM quarrel: What do the people think?

[Digdis]

This started as a joke in another thread, but it raised an interesting question, at least for me:
We all know the reason for the quarrel between Greece and FYROM (AKA Macedonia) over the latter's name. What interests me to know is whether this peculiar quarrel is led by politicians (as always), or whether it's genuine, meaning that the people in both countries really care about this issue.
So, I would like to hear my Greek friends' take on this issue, and if there's also anyone here from FYROM, you are also welcome.
Just please don't turn this thread into a flame war, as it's not its purpose.

[EverGreen]

The people in both countries are more concerned about their stomachs being filled with food and money to be able to go out and have a good time.

There is a war going on in Iraq, a famine in Africa,
North Korea are conducting nuclear tests, the planet is changing from global warning and a genocide is being executed in Sudan.

[c_fish]

The people in both countries are more concerned about their stomachs being filled with food and money to be able to go out and have a good time.

There is a war going on in Iraq, a famine in Africa,
North Korea are conducting nuclear tests, the planet is changing from global warning and a genocide is being executed in Sudan.

Both true but that doesnt mean that nothing bad is going to happen to you if bad things happen around the world.Thats the kind of thinking that brought the problem to it current status.

Macedonia is a geographical region which today is part in Greece part in Fyrom. Tito referred to the former Yugoslavia residents of the region as Macedonians,which is odd because the slavic people came to that place some 1000yrs after Great Alexander lived,during the byzantine period.Noone in Greece paid any attention to the subject so some years ago when Yugoslavia split up they chose the name Macedonia and the star of Vergina as a flag-which they changed later.

So its not like we wake up and fall to sleep thinking the matter but more like thinking how this issue could escalate later on;Fyrom demanding to "free" the rest of macedonia,like in maps I've seen with Fyrom also owning Greek territory from Kavala to Larissa.

[qiangdade]

Well FYROMians ( ) live in a region that was called macedonia for millenia. But they settled there some 1000 years ago. I don't think they have anything to do with the ancient macedonians or alexander the great. Maybe "Slavomacedonia " would be a suitable name. Or "slovensko" (to jump back to the original thread ). But personally i don't give a flying s*** how the country or the people are called. Anyway the country was called macedonia for 80 years as a part of yugoslavia and the greeks had no problem with it, so i can understand why they still wanna be called that

[c_fish]

I think that there is a problem when a country and a neighbouring countrys region are named the same when the specific circumstances are in practice.The UN (or whoever had come up with a specific solution plan) wanted Greece to stop calling its region,a ministry,commercial products etc Macedonia

[Victorious]

Macedonia is a geographical region in the central Balkan area. Ever since the middle ages many different peoples lived there. Slavs, Greeks, Muslims, Jews, Vlachs. All of these peoples where in a sence Macedonians, because they resided in the region. The word 'Macedonia' however had NO ethnical connotation and the boundaries of the Macedonian region even differed from century to century.

Personally I don't give s*** how the people in the FYROM call themselves on a national level, but we have to take into account that the region is shared by three different countries who each have their own claims and historical achievements/heritage in the region.

The moment you call your people Macedonians, your language Macedonian and your country Macedonia, you tend to monopolise the name of the region and its history. So on an INTERnational level I feel it is only fair that the name has to be adjusted.

The UN tries to find a solution, but insofar no luck.

As for the people. As Evergreen pointed out. The people of all countries are more concerned to have their stomachs filled.

[HABIBI]

First of all i have aquestion for you... how can they call themselves "Macedonian" without even know to write it!there in only one way to write it.Mi- alfa-Kapa-Epsilon-Delta-Omikron -Ni-Alfa-Sigma ok?Μακεδονας.

[elaj]

First of all i have aquestion for you... how can they call themselves "Macedonian" without even know to write it!there in only one way to write it.Mi- alfa-Kapa-Epsilon-Delta-Omikron -Ni-Alfa-Sigma ok?Μακεδονας.

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

First of all i have aquestion for you... how can they call themselves "Macedonian" without even know to write it!there in only one way to write it.Mi- alfa-Kapa-Epsilon-Delta-Omikron -Ni-Alfa-Sigma ok?Μακεδονας.

No matter how passionate I am about this issue (agreeing of course against the use of the name Macedonia to refer to FYROM) the above argument is probably the most naive I have so far encountered...

BTW, they also write Macedonia with a "k" (Македонија).

[sinobball]

Sounds like China-Taiwan....

[Phantim3dx]

Sounds like China-Taiwan....

i was waiting for soembody to say this. which personally i want to see taiwan go back to china, under certain circumstances. although if i said it publically my taiwanese friends would all flame the hell out of me

[Victorious]

i was waiting for soembody to say this. which personally i want to see taiwan go back to china, under certain circumstances. although if i said it publically my taiwanese friends would all flame the hell out of me

Greece claims no territory whatsoever from FYROMacedonia. They simply do not agree that the country should be called ' Macedonia', because it also corresponds to the Northern Greek province of Macedonia which has its own distinctive Macedonian heritage.

A similair example can be found in France. A part of Western France near the English channel is called Brittagne (Brittain). It is because of this reason that the official name of Great Brittain is 'United Kingdom'.

[HABIBI]

Guys we must make it clear for all historics Universities etc there is only one Macedonia =Mακεδονια search it guys and you will see it.It is a part of Greece from the ancient ages

[DarkoMVP]

There is both a state and a city called Washington. There is a Georgia that is a country in Eastern Europe and a state in the United States.. Hell, there are two countries named Congo right next to each other.

It's ridiculous to stop something from calling itself whatever it want, it has no real significance and it's certainly a sovereign right. It's not really a big confusion either. For Washington, you can just add "state" or "D.C" - it takes no more than one extra word to disntinguish them.

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

There is both a state and a city called Washington. There is a Georgia that is a country in Eastern Europe and a state in the United States.. Hell, there are two countries named Congo right next to each other.

It's ridiculous to stop something from calling itself whatever it want, it has no real significance and it's certainly a sovereign right. It's not really a big confusion either. For Washington, you can just add "state" or "D.C" - it takes no more than one extra word to disntinguish them.

It's not as simple as that. By claiming the name they also claim the heritage, the history and everythng relating to the Macedonian civillization. You can't compare that to the Congos who just happen to share the name of the river that traverse them, or the Washingtons who were named in honour of a person, or the Georgias who are ...planets apart and were named after different things (Rep. Georgia: From the greek word for farming/farmland; State of Georgia: In honor of King George of England).