Daniel, may I suggest that you table a motion in the EU Parliament to suspend Greece from the EU until it meets the qualifications for human rights with regard to its ethnic Macedonian minority ... as any new candidate would have to do.
Failing that, can you table a motion for reparations payments to ethnic Macedonians in Greece for the EU's role in aiding and abetting their cultural genocide.
Failing that, make it a crime to deny the ethnicity of ethnic Macedonians in the EU and to expel any professors who promote that genocidal hatred.
Failing that, can you propose a resolution warning the Ossetians and Abkhazians that Greece's values regarding minority rights are also, by definition, EU values and if they are unified with Georgia and then Georgia joins the EU, they can expect to enjoy the same rights as the ethnic Macedonians in Greece.
Pressure to be exerted over Greece to unblock Macedonia's EU integration, says French MEP
Strasbourg, 21 April 2010 (MIA) - Co-chairman of the European Parliament Group of the Greens, Daniel Cohn-Bendit believes now is the time to exercise pressure on Greece regarding concessions in the name dispute, adding however that the solution cannot come from outside.
"Regarding the Macedonia name dispute, I have always had a simple stance: Macedonia is Macedonia and it will remain Macedonia. It is time to end this game", Cohn-Bendit told Deutsche Welle.
Pertaining to pressure put on Macedonia to change its name, he says, "If Macedonia wants to keep name Macedonia, it is fine with me. If Macedonia wants to change its name, I accept it. A big nationalistic contest has been made over the name, both in Macedonia and Greece. I believe it would be good to do something so that everyone calms down. If not, we will not find a way out"
According to Cohn-Bendit, the way out is possible by exercising pressure on Greece to raise the blockade of Macedonia's European integration.
"However, there is also the problem of the unanimous EU decision-making process. As long as Greece blocks Macedonia, this is a problem in the Union's functioning. Now there is a possibility to negotiate with Greece regarding the aid provided to resolve the crisis and its concession regarding Macedonia's name. This could represent an opportunity to leave this impasse", stresses the French MEP.
He says the European Union has demonstrated its weakness in the Macedonia case in the same way as the one of Cyprus.
"We lost the battle with Cyprus. According to me, the game is played in Macedonia and Greece. They are the ones that need to become more reasonable. If they do not demonstrate reason, then a solution cannot be reached. When nationalistic madness gets in the way, then it is difficult to stop it", added Cohn-Bendit.
On the possibility for the Group of the Greens, which has always given its support to Macedonia's Euro-integration, to launch an initiative for the name row's settlement, he says it could be done under the condition that both sides are ready to accept a compromise.
"For the time being, the reaction over the identity is the one blocking everything for both sides", assesses MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit.
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