The referendum for the people of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the name deal with Greece will take place this Sunday.
Both the European Union as a whole and the country itself have a special interest in a positive outcome of the FYROM referendum on the Prespa Agreement with Greece, emphasised Paul Schmidt, Secretary General of the 'Austrian European Political Society' in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency in Vienna.
According to him, this is demonstrated by the openly supportive appearances in recent weeks in Skopje, by a series of foreign leaders and international actors, the German Chancellor, other Heads of Government, and the Commissioner for Enlargement of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
Critical to the outcome of the referendum, said Schmidt is the percentage of participation and refers to the opposition of the "Prespa Agreement" from the President of FYROM who has called the country's population to abstain from voting on the referendum.
If the referendum is rejected it will be problematic and it will surely cause a "domino effect" for the Western Balkans, "putting a halt to their European dream” he warns.
