Things don’t look good in Skopje

The signs bode ill right from the get-go in North Macedonia, after the Balkan country's newly elected president kicked off her tenure with an unnecessary swipe at Greece, causing ripples on what were otherwise calm waters in bilateral relations between the two neighbors. The 70-year-old constitutional law professor took it upon herself to create turbulence with Athens even though what North Macedonia needs right now is friends and allies, and neighbors with no designs on it, so it can continue making progress on its path to European Union membership - the ultimate goal.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova's decision to refer to her country as "Macedonia" in her swearing-in on Sunday makes sense in some respects. It reflects the nationalist politician's beliefs and her pre-election promises, even though she flouted the instructions of the parliamentary speaker, who asked that she...