Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis has weighed in on the ongoing developments of the “Macedonia” name dispute with neighbouring FYROM. In a salient post on his personal website, the 92-year-old iconic artist, called on the government to remain faithful to the national line carved out during the 1992 leaders’ summit by the political parties under then President Constantinos Karamanlis according to which Greece would not consent to a term or derivative of the name “Macedonia” to be included in the name of FYROM. “Any retreat from this line will have disastrous effects for the future of our country since after the eight years of plunder of the Greek people that led us to the current dramatic situation, all that remains is to preserve our national integrity. The government of Skopje is blatantly threatening the sovereignty of our country. By using the name “Macedonia” as the vehicle, distorting the historical events to a ridiculous degree, it seeks to extend its borders at our expense to create the so-called “Macedonia of the Aegean”, he writes in his post.

Theodorakis says that this propaganda has indoctrinated many generations of young people in FYROM into believing they are descendants of Alexander the Great. The great composer calls on the Greek government to refrain from straying from the decision reached in 1992.

“Them leading us into bankruptcy and tearing our social fabric apart is one matter. But reaching a point where the sovereignty of our country is threatened, this is not only a huge issue but physical annihilation. Because our country will not be able to bear losing even a single square meter of Greek land. Hyperbole? Just think, who could really have fathomed of the once formidable Yugoslavia being split up? When you are afraid to say that you love your homeland and when – even worse you sell it out – is acting servile”, he writes.