The name deal and the delicate situation for Greece

The name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is gaining increasing international interest, so any handling of the issue by Athens that is motivated by narrow partisan interests or last-minute power plays will only hurt the country. There is a lot at stake.

It has become more than apparent in the past few weeks that powerful allies and partners of Greece are investing heavily in the agreement going through, as the geopolitical equation includes the West's relationship with Russia and Moscow's role in the Balkans. The pressure to this end is significant, from US President Donald Trump to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, not to mention several influential foreign ministers. In what is a rare intervention, even former US president George W. Bush called on the...