As previously outlined, we believe that the nationalist-leaning North Macedonian government will continue to inflame tensions with its neighbours. In her inaugural address, President Siljanovska-Davkova referred to the country as ‘Macedonia’ (as opposed to the official ‘North Macedonia’), prompting Greece’s foreign ministry to accuse her of violating the Prespa Agreement, which was reached in 2018 under the previous administration to resolve the longstanding Greece-North Macedonia naming dispute. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, who has also referred to the country as ‘Macedonia’, has taken a hard stance on the Bulgaria issue, declaring that his country will accept no more ‘ultimatums’ on its path to accession. Moreover, Mickoski raised tensions on February 4 when he claimed that Bulgaria was the first to violate the Treaty of Friendship, Goodneighbourliness and Cooperation, effectively blaming Bulgaria for the lack of progress on accession.
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