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Comment by djif | Hacker News Reader

"...ending...": in fact, it has just begun.. There's a long way until this 'agreement' becomes a 'reality' (referendum and constitutional changes in FYROM and then vote in both parliaments). But most importantly the will of the people has been ignored so only the near future will show what will actually happen.

For a historical reference about this issue and the Greek identity of Macedonia: https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/6265/was-alexand...

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>> But most importantly the will of the people has been ignored so only the near future will show what will actually happen.

If "the will of the people" is to cling on to nationalist and irredentist ideas, then it's imperative that the people are givent he opportunity to reconsider their "will". We know all too well what happens in Europe when we let nationalism guide us. In the Balkans, even more so.

The "will" of the people can certainly not be that we are constantly up in arms, killing each other for petty malakies (yes, I'm Greek). The only "people" who "will" this are populist politicians who stand to profit from constant unrest.

Which will of which people was ignored?

Both.

Nationalist Greeks are angry and so do nationalist Makedonians.

I would think both countries have more important things to protest about than name change, but then I don't live on Balkans.

Will of the people != will of the nationalists.

Can’t really say the will of the people is being ignored when referenda are planned, referenda which one can reasonably still presume will be binding.

Both Greece and Macedonia are national countries, so in this case will of the people == will of the nationalists.

Greece probably shouldn't have elected an anti-nationalist governing party then.

Some nations have home: their own country, so in these cases people == nation, and will of the people == will of the nation.

Strange AFAIK the Greek-Macedonian border is not contested. Both countries acknowledge eachother sovereignty.

Because of rules of NATO.

Things like these are, sadly, very important in the Balkans sigh

I'm pretty sure the name of your own country is important to most people everywhere.

the first part of your last sentence: Welcome to Balkans!

That will: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42937889

And before you speak again about nationalists, etc read a bit about Mikis Theodorakis who was the main speaker addressing the crowd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikis_Theodorakis

So on both sides, the people that are unhappy would have wanted the other side to make more concessions?

That's exactly why I poked him. Only nationalists are displeased. source: I'm Greek and I think this is a great deal

I can see you can't really understand what a nationalist means despite one representative source I cited with regards to Mikis Theodorakis. I won't mock you for that -as you did- however to make my point easier for you here is a hint: M. Theodorakis has been a communist all his life and was imprisoned during the Greek dictatorship (Junta) in 1967-74. Junta is the 'dream' of Greek nationalists (see Golden Dawn). I think that'd be helpful

To my eyes Miki is reading someone else's opinions. Happens a lot lately. It looks like he is being used every time he steps up publicly regarding national matters. IMHO.

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