PM Tsipras accused of surrendering part of Greece’s identity after Macedonia name deal

13 Jun, 2018 09:57 / Updated 7 years ago

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was accused of surrendering part of his nation’s identity on Wednesday, as a deal with Macedonia to settle a name dispute prompted a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians and media. Under the agreement announced by Athens and Skopje on Tuesday, the Balkan state known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia would henceforth be called the “Republic of Northern Macedonia.” The accord would open the way for the small nation's eventual membership of the EU and NATO, which is currently blocked by Greece. Conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the deal “deeply problematic,” because the majority of Greeks were against it and Tsipras lacked the political legitimacy to sign it, Reuters reports.