On Tuesday 18 September, European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn called for the referendum on the name change of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) not to be politicised.
"The referendum is on the future of the country. It should not become a political event. I think the political parties should refrain from using this for party political reasons. Each should decide according to his interests. At such a crucial moment, it is no time to play party political games", he said at a press conference with the country's prime minister, Zoran Zaev, in Skopje.
Like High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Skopje on 13 September, and European Council President Donald Tusk by video the previous day, Hahn called on the Macedonians to go out and vote. While the agreement between FYROM and Greece is supported by the international community because "it safeguards" the country's European and Euro-Atlantic future, the vote "is an independent decision", he said.
The EU is counting on a positive result. As proof of this, Hahn announced that a meeting would take place in Brussels next week "to begin a comprehensive screening exercise of all the preparatory work for starting the negotiations" for accession to the EU, which will only be opened if the agreement with Greece is approved. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)