Presidential inauguration in Skopje sparks diplomatic tiff

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was sworn in as the first female president of North Macedonia on Sunday, immediately reignited a diplomatic spat with neighboring Greece, forcing Athens’ top envoy in the neighbouring country to walk out of the inauguration ceremony.

At the ceremony in the country’s Parliament, Siljanovska-Davkova referred to

her country as “Macedonia,” rather than the constitutional name “North Macedonia”
This prompted Greece’s Ambassador to Skopje, Sophia Philippidou, to leave the inauguration ceremony with the foreign ministry in Athens issuing a stern demarche, saying the new president’s actions were in breach of an accord reached between the two countries.

Athens has long accused Skopje of appropriating Greek history, using the name “Macedonia” as its own.

The decades-old dispute was resolved in 2018, when both sides signing a pact that identified the neighbouring nation with the constitutional name of “North Macedonia.” The resolution lifted Greece’s to North Macedonia joining NATO, but in Sunday’s demarche, Greece’s Foreign Ministry said breach of the agreement could imperil the nation’s chances of joining the European Union.
Ms. Siljanovska-Davkova is the sixth president since the tiny Balkan country gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. She was sworn in before the outgoing Parliament.

“I could not have imagined that I would receive this kind of trust from over 560,000 citizens. I still can’t believe it. I will be the president of all citizens. I will try to justify these thousands of votes, which are not only the most beautiful gift for my birthday, but also the biggest obligation I have had in my life. It is time for unity,” Ms. Siljanovska-Davkova said, referring to the fact that she was officially informed of the result on Saturday — her 71st birthday.

Most of her address was focused on women and their role in society, promising to “feminize” and “Europeanize” the country. “With the help of us women, you male politicians will also change and Macedonia will become a decent place to live,” Ms. Siljanovska-Davkova said.

After taking the oath in Parliament, a handoff ceremony took place in front of the President’s official residence.
The incident sparked reactions from high-ranking EU officials, including Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and the EU’s Foreign Policy Representative, who all voiced concern about the potential implications for North Macedonia’s European integration.

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