The European Union draws upon respect of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights including minority rights. High representatives of the EU member states, including Greek President Karolos Papoulias, guarantee this with their signatures on the EU Treaty. However, reality in Greece in regard to respecting minority rights of Macedonians differs from what the Treaty says.

Dnevnik has turned to a number of EU institutions asking them whether the Union is taking any action in respect to the fact that Greece as a member state does nothing to secure the rights and liberties of the Macedonian minority. A motive for doing this is the recently filed petition of the Macedonians from Ovcarani, Greece, to the local authorities of Greece that the Macedonian language should be introduced in primary schools, which has not been the case so far in the EU member state supposed to be a leader in honoring democratic standards. The Office of Viviane Reding, Deputy President of the European Commission, asked Dnevnik to give them a concrete example illustrating that Macedonians are discriminated against. When Dnevnik sent them the report of Gay McDougall, the independent United Nations minority expert, in which she demands of Greece to let Macedonians freely express their ethnic identity, Brussels passed the ball to Athens.

“I wish to remind you that the treaties of the EU are not a substitute for the national legislation on protection of minorities. National courts are the first address that citizens who feel discriminated against should turn to,” said Mina Andreeva from the Office of the Vice-President of the European Commission.