French President Emmanuel Macron has blocked the opening of accession negotiations for North Macedonia, as did Denmark and the Netherlands. In doing so, Mr Macron argued that the European Union’s enlargement strategy was “bizarre” with reforms needed before enlargement. Talks with Albania have been blocked also.
Below is the letter sent by World Pan-Macedonian Associations to Mr Macron following his stand:
Dear President Macron,
We are writing to you to express our gratitude for your stance regarding Skopje’s integration into the European Union. We are proud Greeks with origins from the northern region of Greece, Macedonia – a place that has always been an integral part of the Hellenic world (through a 3000–year continuity of history, culture, and language). When something is integral to a nation, it is tied to the nation’s national security and national pride. Consequently, we will never allow any state whose citizens are not Greek to usurp our identity, as we will never accept anything that jeopardises Greece’s national security that also serves the security of the European Union.
We also know that the past matters, history matters, and it cannot be left in the hands of people who disrespect it. Dr. Frank Holt (Professor of Ancient History from the University of Houston) in his prologue of the book Macedonia-Evidence, writes: “Parliaments? Pundits? Preachers? Poets? Presidents? Who controls the present must choose carefully whom to trust with our past, else a false and monstrous future may result”.
In addition, Mr President, with this veto, you have protected the principles of the European Union that has based its success on the following adage: countries and nations have to be ready to join the European Union based on strict rules and regulations. They have to display their sincerity to the obligations and goals of internal reforms and improved regional relations (especially if the neighbors happen to be members of the European Union). Skopje (on many levels) is just not ready yet.
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Your veto also corrected the mistake of the previous Greek government that led to a false political victory in the form of the Prespes Agreement which Skopje has already violated many times over. This agreement was based on false history and was ratified using an arrogant disregard of the Greek constitution and against the will of the Greek people. As a result, you have protected the standards of Europe and the dignity of a European people (our dignity and historical right to be the only Macedonians) and for this we thank you.
World Pan-Macedonian Association
Signed by US Pan-Macedonian Association (PMA) President Dimitris Philippidis, Australian PMA President George Kosmidis, Canadian PMA Chris Karatzios, African PMA Amyntas Papathanasiou, Canadian Pan-Macedonian Federation President George Papadakis, Greek Federation of Macedonian Cultural Associations President Dimitris Gioumatzidis