FYROM Name Change Kindles Violence in Skopje; Due to New Name of Republic of North Macedonia

There were violent scenes last night in Skopje, the capital of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), as a result of FYROM's deal with Greece to change its name to the "Republic of North Macedonia," the Euro News website reports today (June 18, 2018).

Protesters threw flares, rocks, and bottles at police outside the national parliament and chanted "Macedonia, Macedonia." Officers responded with tear gas and flash grenades. Seven police officers were injured.

Since 1991 -- when FYROM became an independent nation from Yugoslavia -- Greece has argued that by using the name Macedonia the country was laying claim to a bordering northern Greek province of the same name. The Greek province of Macedonia is also the birthplace of the great Greek ruler, Alexander the Great.

The deal to change FYROM's name was signed by the two nations' foreign ministers on Greece's northern border yesterday, witnessed by leaders of both countries. As part of the agreement, once the deal is fully cleared in Skopje, Greece will end all objections to the renamed nation joining the European Union (EU).