Signage pointing to a nonexistent country
Last Saturday, on the shores of Mikri (Little) Prespa Lake, situated on Greece’s northwestern border with Albania, a multitude of people celebrated well into the early hours of the morning. They were immersed in the melodies of the Balkans, featuring music from Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece, including the country’s timeless rock singer Vassilis Papakonstantinou, all part of the festivities of the Prespeia Festival, now commemorating 30 years of successful organization.
People of all ages hailing from the villages of Florina, Kastoria, Kozani, Edessa and neighboring Balkan nations converged upon the picturesque islet of Agios Achillios. With heartfelt enthusiasm, they reveled in the festivities. Such cultural respites are a crucial necessity for the people living in the mountainous border regions. Despite the historical association of Greece’s northern borders with ethnic conflicts and territorial disputes, local communities on both sides of these borders have a deep-rooted connection through shared traditions and customs. This connection only strengthens as distrust diminishes and communication channels continue to open.
It is in everyone’s best interest, particularly the residents of remote areas of Greece, to foster closer ties with their neighbors. In this equation, Greece holds the upper hand. Have we fully grasped this opportunity? Judging by certain events on the borders, it seems we may not have. For instance, just outside the town of Florina, on the route to the Niki border crossing with North Macedonia, the signage directs travelers to a country that no longer exists, referring to it as FYROM – the abbreviation for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Below that, an older sign even points toward Yugoslavia. A similar situation exists on the national road from Nea Malgara in Thessaloniki to the Evzoni border post, where signs still read Skopje instead of North Macedonia. However, in the same location, the signage properly indicates Bulgaria instead of Sofia and Turkey rather than Istanbul.
Should we believe that those responsible for international highway signage remain uninformed about FYROM’s change to North Macedonia, an official name recognized by Greece and established in international organizations? Or could some be pursuing their own foreign policy agendas? Do they genuinely believe that such actions will undermine what was once derogatorily referred to as the “Skopje [state] entity,” which, in its current form, plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of the Balkan border map and ultimately, regional peace?
Even within the Prespes region itself, rightfully promoted as a tri-national meeting point encompassing Greece, Albania and North Macedonia, the highly anticipated border station, believed by many to be a catalyst for change in the area, has languished in the labyrinth of bureaucracy. Meanwhile, North Macedonia has already readied its facilities on its side. Is this a mere coincidence?
