Greeceīs Schizophrenic Story with a Tragic End
Risto Stefov
February 05, 2009
In spite of its clever attempts, the Greek lobby simply chose the wrong arsenal in an explosive diplomatic attempt to discredit the Republic of Macedonia. Yet again it exposed its massive "sieve holes" through which it managed to squeeze yet another Big Greek lie against the Republic of Macedonia.
I am talking about the unsubstantiated story of the Macedonian blogger who was identified as the alleged "President of the Slav Philhellenic Network" and who in the eyes of the Greeks became an instant victim, a victim of the Macedonian police who, according to some Greeks, was arrested by the Skopje Police for allegedly spreading pro-Greek propaganda.
This unsubstantiated story, after being told and retold over the internet, grew and took on a dimension of extraordinary proportion not only among fellow bloggers but among parliamentarians in the Greek parliament in Athens. One parliamentarian from the POSOK party, immediately after hearing about this alleged incident, accused the Republic of Macedonia of "extreme nationalism". Without any evidence to substantiate it and depending entirely on rumours, the Greek PASOK parliamentarian spoke about a brutalized victim of the Macedonian police whose last name he did not even know.
As the story spread like wildfire it was picked up by Greek lobbyists in the USA and raised even higher with a letter to the European Union in Brussels demanding that the "Republic of Macedonia stop its irredentism against its neighbours".
All this over a statement made by a blogger on the internet alleging that the police were there to search his apartment and jail him. On the blog he wrote "And while the police were searching your apartment you jumped on the computer to post a, ha, ha, ha, ha".
Even though this unlikely story was meant for other bloggers, for the Greeks it became "a true story", a story full of drama, of conspiracy against a Philhellene whose prime motive was to spread Greek propaganda and who did not deserve the brutal treatment he was receiving from the Macedonian police. But instead of helping this individual, the Greeks took the high road and made him into a political victim who they could use against the entire Republic of Macedonia. The poor manīs ordeal became a weapon for the Greek parliamentarians and lobbyists to use against the Republic of Macedonia especially when they took his case to the doors of the EU to show the European community how unworthy Macedonia is. To show the Europeans that the Republic of Macedonia does not guarantee or respect the human rights of its citizens. For Greeks this was an opportune moment to score some points in their fight against Macedonia. For them this would be "yet another piece of evidence" they could bring to the Hague to argue against Macedonia.
Unfortunately this spun "hot potato" of a story had a tragic outcome. The blogger and "Greek hero" was indeed taken into custody but not in handcuffs as the story was told. The mentally ill boy was found in his apartment suffering from not having taken his medications and was taken to a psychiatric hospital. All these discussions the Greeks were having were about a mentally ill child who indeed was suffering, but not from what it was made out to be. Upon finding out, his family was disgusted with the Greeks, especially with the parliamentarians who used their childīs suffering for twisted and personal gains. For the family it is unbelievable how the Greek parliamentarians could believe the information their mentally ill son had placed on the internet, which for him was a last wish to succeed in saving himself from the duress of his treatment in the mental hospital. The diagnosis of his illness, as was explained by his doctors, suggests that he was capable of constructing all kinds of conspiracies with their own fantastic scenarios and interpretations.
A tragic end to a schizophrenic story which leads us to the question "what motivated our southern neighbour to take this road?" instead of the road to neighbourly relations and constructive dialog, which it used, at every opportunity, to show off to every member of the democratic circle of the European Union.
Unfortunately "yet again" Greece showed its true colours towards the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. Greeceīs latest escapade around the alleged imprisoning of the blogger, who was characterized as "sufficiently courageous" to openly oppose the politics of the Macedonian government, had an undesirable end for the Greeks; some would characterize as a self inflicting wound to the head by a stone thrown up in the air.
Athensīs schizophrenic attempt to show Macedonia as a country which still breathes from the pores of the Balkan past, like Greece does, has failed.
Ivana Kostovska, Nova Makedonija
Translation, editing Risto Stefov
I am talking about the unsubstantiated story of the Macedonian blogger who was identified as the alleged "President of the Slav Philhellenic Network" and who in the eyes of the Greeks became an instant victim, a victim of the Macedonian police who, according to some Greeks, was arrested by the Skopje Police for allegedly spreading pro-Greek propaganda.
This unsubstantiated story, after being told and retold over the internet, grew and took on a dimension of extraordinary proportion not only among fellow bloggers but among parliamentarians in the Greek parliament in Athens. One parliamentarian from the POSOK party, immediately after hearing about this alleged incident, accused the Republic of Macedonia of "extreme nationalism". Without any evidence to substantiate it and depending entirely on rumours, the Greek PASOK parliamentarian spoke about a brutalized victim of the Macedonian police whose last name he did not even know.
As the story spread like wildfire it was picked up by Greek lobbyists in the USA and raised even higher with a letter to the European Union in Brussels demanding that the "Republic of Macedonia stop its irredentism against its neighbours".
All this over a statement made by a blogger on the internet alleging that the police were there to search his apartment and jail him. On the blog he wrote "And while the police were searching your apartment you jumped on the computer to post a, ha, ha, ha, ha".
Even though this unlikely story was meant for other bloggers, for the Greeks it became "a true story", a story full of drama, of conspiracy against a Philhellene whose prime motive was to spread Greek propaganda and who did not deserve the brutal treatment he was receiving from the Macedonian police. But instead of helping this individual, the Greeks took the high road and made him into a political victim who they could use against the entire Republic of Macedonia. The poor manīs ordeal became a weapon for the Greek parliamentarians and lobbyists to use against the Republic of Macedonia especially when they took his case to the doors of the EU to show the European community how unworthy Macedonia is. To show the Europeans that the Republic of Macedonia does not guarantee or respect the human rights of its citizens. For Greeks this was an opportune moment to score some points in their fight against Macedonia. For them this would be "yet another piece of evidence" they could bring to the Hague to argue against Macedonia.
Unfortunately this spun "hot potato" of a story had a tragic outcome. The blogger and "Greek hero" was indeed taken into custody but not in handcuffs as the story was told. The mentally ill boy was found in his apartment suffering from not having taken his medications and was taken to a psychiatric hospital. All these discussions the Greeks were having were about a mentally ill child who indeed was suffering, but not from what it was made out to be. Upon finding out, his family was disgusted with the Greeks, especially with the parliamentarians who used their childīs suffering for twisted and personal gains. For the family it is unbelievable how the Greek parliamentarians could believe the information their mentally ill son had placed on the internet, which for him was a last wish to succeed in saving himself from the duress of his treatment in the mental hospital. The diagnosis of his illness, as was explained by his doctors, suggests that he was capable of constructing all kinds of conspiracies with their own fantastic scenarios and interpretations.
A tragic end to a schizophrenic story which leads us to the question "what motivated our southern neighbour to take this road?" instead of the road to neighbourly relations and constructive dialog, which it used, at every opportunity, to show off to every member of the democratic circle of the European Union.
Unfortunately "yet again" Greece showed its true colours towards the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. Greeceīs latest escapade around the alleged imprisoning of the blogger, who was characterized as "sufficiently courageous" to openly oppose the politics of the Macedonian government, had an undesirable end for the Greeks; some would characterize as a self inflicting wound to the head by a stone thrown up in the air.
Athensīs schizophrenic attempt to show Macedonia as a country which still breathes from the pores of the Balkan past, like Greece does, has failed.
Ivana Kostovska, Nova Makedonija
Translation, editing Risto Stefov
Print
Email
