Balkan-style tightrope walk

The name deal signed between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in June stipulates that Athens will launch the process to ratify the agreement only after Skopje has completed its part of the process. Skopje must first notify Athens that its lawmakers have endorsed the deal (Article 1.4.b). "Upon notification by the Second Party [FYROM] of the completion of the abovementioned constitutional amendments and all of its internal legal procedures for the entry into force of this Agreement, the First Party [Greece] shall promptly ratify this Agreement" (Article 1.4.f).

In other words, there are four steps to be taken: a) ratification of the Prespes accord; b) completion of the constitutional amendments; c) completion of all the internal legal procedures needed to enforce the deal; and d) notifying Greece. Completing "all… internal legal procedures for the...