What’s in a Name? The Role of the European Union in Solving the Name Issue Between R.N. Macedonia and Greece

Forming of the new Government on 31st of May 2017 marked the beginning of the end of one of the most serious political crisis that Republic of North Macedonia has lived through from its independence. The country was faced with challenges both on the domestic front – the dissolution of the democratic institutions and backsliding to authoritarianism, and on the international front as well – worsening of the relations with its neighbors. One of the first steps taken by the new government was to renew the ties with its Southern neighbor – Greece. After a period of three years, the representatives from both countries started negotiating again in order to resolve the name dispute and the security implications of this prolonged dispute on the Balkan region. The paper will analyze the role of the European Union during the negotiations and the role of the EU membership for the implementation of the Agreement that was reached on 17th June 2018 ending the name issue between the two countries. The paper will give insight into the need of a referendum in R.N. Macedonia, its legal implications on the renaming of the country and the role of the EU membership in reshaping the country’s politics and standing points on the name dispute. Moreover, there has been a huge impact on the newly created geopolitical situation in the Balkans that brought both countries closer to the agreement and that issue will be elaborated as well in the context of the European foreign policy’s values.