I can only guess because around a quarter of the population is Albanian, and they currently (and probably will also in the future) constitute the parliamentary majority. The Albanian population is currently in a surge, and Albanians don't really like to be mixed up with Slavs...
The Albanian minority does absolutely not have a majority in the North Macedonian parliament. Being a tiny minority party across changing ruling coalitions does not mean they "constitute a majority". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_parliamentary_elect...
Lost in translation, they are not A majority, but their parties are a part of the ruling majority. Sorry, that's just how we usually refer to it around here.
Well, I'm Bulgarian, there's much hatred as they like to call us tatars and all kinds of things. Not really very nice, considering they have the same genes as ours, same names, same language(except for a few serb add-ins). Also, they would rather be absorbed by Albania, than join their blood brothers :)
When you generalize like that, who do you refer to when you say 'they'? I've been there last year and I saw a lot of ethnic albanians and met A LOT of people with greek surnames.
Well, I can only say that we have 95% the same language with a few letters inserted by the serbs. If you look at both greek and albanian languages it's easy to see that they are VERY different than ours. Now, whoever tries to convince you otherwise, is wrong and it's not hard to conclude that given this language similarity and no nearby such similarity it's easy to figure out their origin :)
I have been to Northern Greece. I have friends from Macedonia. This is the stupidest international dispute I think our reality can support.
It's the Balkans: disputes may seem inane to an external observer but they last generations and usually end up in (or perpetuated by) wars. It's the first time since I can remember where a dispute is resolved peacefully, without huge external pressure.
I don't know how long it's going to last but to be honest it was a prime example of ostrichism on our part (I'm Greek btw). Not that the other side didn't partake in kitsch demonstrations of nationalism, but at some point we should have taken cue from the rest of the world that called the country Macedonia and moved on, rather than pretend the matter is not de facto over and behave like a stubborn child
Not really correct. The peninsula consists of two Mexican states: Baja California Sur, and Baja California Norte. The United States dropped the "Alta" from Alta California after the process of defeating Mexico. I consider us all Californians, though, despite the political boundaries.
Maybe the previously-Alta California should follow the Mexican example and split into separate north and south states? That would fix issues with federal political representation, at least.
Given its population, California (U.S.) could and arguably should split into several states. An even division into 5 states would still leave them around the size of Washington.
I have been to Northern Greece. I have friends from Macedonia. This is the stupidest international dispute I think our reality can support.
No, it's not as stupid as you might think. FYROM was part of Bulgaria for a very long time. Lots of history of the empires happend there, they claim that it's theirs. Same for Alexander Macedon(he's obviously greek). If you claim some identity in front of many people you must be able to support it otherwise you end up looking like a fool. Imagine a nation of such deluded by the system people.
I have been to Northern Greece. I have friends from Macedonia. This is the stupidest international dispute I think our reality can support.
Can't be that bad. No dead people.
Fairly certain this is, strictly speaking, inaccurate. As I recall Greece's unhappiness with (North) Macedonia led to some coordination challenges wrt things like the flood of migrants from the Middle East.
I'd wager there were fatal consequences from this dispute.
When you generalize like that, who do you refer to when you say 'they'? I've been there last year and I saw a lot of ethnic albanians and met A LOT of people with greek surnames.
Well, I can only say that we have 95% the same language with a few letters inserted by the serbs. If you look at both greek and albanian languages it's easy to see that they are VERY different than ours. Now, whoever tries to convince you otherwise, is wrong and it's not hard to conclude that given this language similarity and no nearby such similarity it's easy to figure out their origin :)
I don't know. It seems to be dangerous to paint broad strokes like that. My immediate heritage is german, italian and croatian and am from Croatia, speak croatian and live there/here. Yet, I understand 90% of macedonian and probably 70% of bulgarian without ever learning either language. Where is the line then? Since I was born here and learned this language as my first, yet not anyone from my family (grandparents and beyond) is from here... is my origin then same as yours or what? It's a dangerous path. For example, whole region was Rumelia for 502 years up to about 150 years ago, capital was in Sofia (if I remember correctly). Are you all Turkish then? Even people that settled there after Rumelia was gone, but understand the language (as their first)? Where does one define clear lines and be so confident in things like that? It's not that simple.
If they're offended, they can be speak for themselves. They don't need an outsider being proxy-offended for them.
I saw it as my duty to notify you of something offensive you've said. I don't have to be 'them' to know that. Take it as you will.
I saw it as my duty to notify you of something offensive you've said.
I said nothing offensive.
You're so interested in SJW-championing other people's causes to make yourself feel morally superior that you didn't even bother to notice that I'm not the OC.