February 10, 2020
Labor Minister Rashela Mizrahi in the caretaker government of North Macedonia triggered a storm of reactions after she had a picture in front of a plaque bearing the country’s old name “Republic of Macedonia.”
The Labor minister is a member of nationalist VMRO that opposed the Prespes Agreement with Greece.
Mizrahi reportedly refused to apologize for the provocation saying that she was merely correcting i “historical injustice.” Moreover she said that “this is the Republic of Macedonia and that [we are] Macedonians.”
Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov accused Mizrahi of disrespecting the constitution and of jeopardizing the country’s Euro-Atlantic future and the so-called “name” agreement with Greece – which the EU strongly supported.
He said he had received a verbal note of protest from Athens over Mizrahi’s action, adding that he would propose her dismissal from the caretaker government, tasked to organize the April general elections, if she failed to back down.
former Greek Foreign Minister and architect of the Prespes Agreement, Nikos Kotzias, called on Mitsotakis’ government to report the action to the United Nations.
Κυβέρνηση οφείλει καταγγείλει στον ΟΗΕ την Ρασέλα Μιζραχί υπουργό εργασίας της Βόρειας Μακεδονίας, προερχομενη απο το αδελφό της κόμμα VMRO, για ωμή παραβίαση του διεθνους δικαίου και Συμφωνίας Πρεσπών. Άμεσα δε, να ζητήσει από ΕΕ την απαγόρευση εισόδου της σε όλα τα κράτη-μέλη
— Nikos Kotzias (@NikosKotzias) February 9, 2020
“The government has to report Rasela Mizrahito the UN Rasela Mizrahi, the labor minister of Northern Macedonia, coming from its brother VMRO, for gross violations of international law and the Prespa Agreement. Immediately, ask the EU to ban her from entering all member states.”
PS Will the New Democracy government properly react to the provocation? Hardly…
