Greek Gov’t spokesman: Prespes “Agreement is harmful as we said in the beginning”

“We signed an agreement whose implementation depends on the volition of others. This aspect proves that this agreement is harmful, as we have said from the beginning,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Tuesday commenting on the Prespes Agreement and the French veto to accession talks between North Macedonia and the European Union.

Asked if the French veto last week hampers the “erga omnes” provided by the agreement and if this development affects Greek interests, Petsas said:

“We support the European prospects of the Western Balkans. We signed an agreement whose implementation depends on the volition of others. This aspect proves that this agreement is harmful, as we have said from the beginning.”

Latin term erga omnes – towards all – means in the context of the Prespes Agreement that North Macedonia would use this name  not only in external documents but also in internal ones, within the ocuntry. The Agreement was so to say “the passport” for the country to enter the NATO and the EU.

The French veto not only triggered a serious political crisis in North Macedonia, it also raises concerns in Greece: to SYRIZA that designed and signed the Agreement and to now ruling New Democracy that opposed large parts of the Agreement until the end.

It is not a secret that some Greek conservatives were pleased by the French veto, hoping that the political developments in NM and a possible win of the nationalist opposition would work against the Prespes Agreement, even annul it on the NM side – even thought the nationalist VMRO has not to cancel the Agreement.

In contrast it was now Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who had promised to cancel the Agreement during his elections campaign. However, he made a grandiose somersault when he came to power, nonetheless due to German support of the Agreement.

Apart for the fate of the Agreement in total, the early elections in NM hinder its implementation.

With an interim government until the elections on 12. April 2020, it is considered as pretty certain that Skopje will delay the implementations of the Prespes Agreement and will not be able to fulfill its obligations towards Athens.

In public opinion polls, the nationalist VMRO is leading with the party of Zoran Zaef to come second.

In the last elections Zaef managed to form a government with the Albanian-speaking parties. He won the referendum for EU/NATO accession. But his future European partners brutally slammed the door to his face.

Will North Macedonia and Zaef, that is, manage to go forward on the European path without incentives? OF course, North Macedonia’s accession to NATO is due and this will positive affect both the political developments in Skopje as well as the Prespes Agreement. Unless a derail occurs, too.

The conservative Greek government may be have to seek alternative ways in order to enforce North Macedonia to implement the Agreement and first of all, save face.