Macedonia Dispute

By Alexander Thomopulos.

The Macedonian name issue is not a name issue – it is a historical and cultural appropriation bordering on the impingement of sovereignty. Some experts fear surrendering the name wholesale surrenders any defense against future irredentist claims by the neighboring state regarding cultural or territorial rights, with ecumenical implications.

First, consider similar cases that haven’t provoked such international discourse. There are hundreds of cities whose names are appropriated from Greek history. Twenty-nine places in the United States alone are …