Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization

Ilinden, celebrated on August 2 according to the old calendar, honors the Holy Prophet Elijah. Recognized by Christians as one of the greatest biblical prophets, Elijah is also considered one of the two most significant figures of the Old Testament, alongside Moses.

The US ambassador in Skopje, Angela Aggeler, has publicly opposed Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski's proposal to renegotiate Bulgaria's inclusion in North Macedonia's constitution, a condition crucial for EU negotiations.

Despite the slight shift in the public discourse of North Macedonia's prime minister-in-waiting, Hristijan Mickoski, experienced diplomats view the "stealth war" strategy followed by the new leadership of the neighboring country as a violation of the "ergo omnes" term of the Prespa Agreement - that is, the use of the country's constitutional name both internally and externally. 

Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini's English edition, joins Thanos Davelis to look into what he has called a destabilizing nationalism from North Macedonia's VMRO-DPMNE, and break down what the broader risks are for not just North Macedonia and Greece, but the region.

After decades of fruitless negotiations, Athens and Skopje signed in 2018 an international agreement which, among its many provisions, stipulated that the country's official name would be "North Macedonia," to be used both domestically and abroad.

It's an obligation for North Macedonia's leaders and officials to use the country's agreed upon constitutional name in all cases.

The newly inaugurated President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, upheld her campaign pledge during the swearing-in ceremony by refraining from using "North" in the country's name. This omission reflects her stance against the 2018 Prespa Treaty with Greece, which altered the country's name to facilitate NATO membership.

Following the victory of Gordana Siljanovska Davkova from VMRO-DPMNE in North Macedonia's presidential elections, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev reaffirmed his support for the European integration of North Macedonia. However, Radev emphasized the importance of adherence to the principles of good neighborliness and the Copenhagen criteria for membership.

After a decisive electoral triumph, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, representing VMRO-DPMNE, clinched victory in the second round of North Macedonia's presidential elections, defeating incumbent Stevo Pendarovski. Siljanovska vowed to serve as a president for all citizens and addressed key diplomatic issues, notably commenting on relations with neighboring Bulgaria.

Polls opened in North Macedonia on Wednesday in parliamentary and presidential elections in which the rightist opposition is expected to gain ground against a ruling party that has failed to progress talks to join the EU and stamp out corruption.

The expected victory of the center-right nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party in North Macedonia's presidential and parliamentary elections is worrying Greek officials, who do not know how far the new government will go towards questioning, or even repudiating, the 2018 Prespes Agreement, which put an end to nearly 30 years of tension between the two countries over the name "Macedonia," which Greeks co