North Macedonia president sparks controversy with Greece during inauguration

New President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, attended her inauguration ceremony in the Parliament in Skopje, North Macedonia on 12 May 2024. She is the first woman president of North Macedonia. Her party, the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE, opposed the Prespa Agreement, which was a deal made in 2018 between Skopje and Athens to change the country's name to include the prefix "North." This agreement ended a 27-year conflict in the Balkans. However, Siljanovska-Davkova's party refused to acknowledge the new name of the country. The European Union leaders were happy about the ratification of the Prespa Agreement by the Greek parliament in January 2024. But Greece insisted that North Macedonia must fully implement the agreement for further progress in their relations and European journey. Bulgaria also emphasized the need for the agreements to be implemented. The EU leaders stressed that North Macedonia must continue with reforms and respect the binding agreements, including the Prespa Agreement, to move forward with its EU accession. The nationalist opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, won the parliamentary and presidential elections in North Macedonia. The new president's refusal to use the constitutional name in her speech triggered a diplomatic conflict with Greece. The country's name and constitution were changed as part of the Prespa deal, allowing North Macedonia to join NATO in 2020 and start the EU accession process. The new president's actions were criticized by Greece and the EU for violating agreements and jeopardizing North Macedonia's EU accession. The use of the term "Macedonia" by the president was seen as controversial due to historical disputes with Greece. The opposition party, VMRO, which rejects the name change, won the elections and returned to power after seven years. Siljanovska-Davkova, a university professor and lawyer, was sworn in as the first female president of North Macedonia. She expressed her gratitude for the trust placed in her by the citizens and promised to work for the benefit of all citizens. The use of the term "Macedonia" by the new president reignited tensions with Greece and raised concerns about the country's EU accession process.