Macedonians are voting Sunday in a high stakes referendum on changing the name of the Balkan state from Macedonia to North Macedonia in order to satisfy Greece and pave the way for acceptance into NATO and potential EU membership. Based on polling, the “yes” side supporting the name change appears to have the edge heading into the vote, but earlier this week, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, a leading critic of the name deal, called on voters to boycott the referendum during a speech he delivered at the UN General Assembly. If a large contingent of voters stay home, that could upend the referendum.
For more on the name deal and the sentiments in Macedonia, watch Josh Friedman’s recent report from Skopje: