by Aggelos Skordas
Manolis Glezos, the prominent figure of the Greek Left, resistance icon of WWII and former SYRIZA MP and MEP, added his voice to those opposing the use of the term “Macedonia” by neighbouring FYROM. After composer Mikis Theodorakis, who declared that “Macedonia is and will always be Greek” during a speech to hundreds of thousands gathered in Athens’ Syntagma during the rally on February 4, Glezos also sent a message to the government of Skopje calling them to “forget Macedonia”.
In an article for the Sunday edition of Greek daily Kathimerini, Glezos who on 30 May 1941 along with fellow student Apostolos Santas climbed on the Acropolis hill and tore down the swastika, inspiring the subjected people of Europe to resist the Nazi occupation, warns the Greek government not to give in to foreign pressures for a solution to the longstanding naming dispute in favour of FYROM’s future in NATO and the coalition’s expansion to the Balkans. Although, he declared that Greece and FYROM should co-exist in peace.
“We must be clear towards our neighbours: Each nation is defined by 1) its language, 2) its folkway and common traditions, 3) the way it is religioned, 4) its will to gain national independence, 5) the will of all its people and not and not part of it. A people can self-identify, but loses contact with its own history when it is hetero-identified”, Glezos underlined.
“So take out of your mind the word Macedonia in any form and replace it with what defines you according to your history, your language, your traditions, the will for peaceful coexistence with all your neighbours, what expresses the whole of your people and not part of it”, the left-wing politician concluded.