By Jad Salfiti
Published on
Ahead of the referendum, polling organizers set up a polling station in Skopje on Saturday. Almost 1.8 million voters will decide whether the former Yugoslav Macedonia will change its name.
Ahead of the referendum, polling organizers set up a polling station in Skopje on Saturday. Almost 1.8 million voters will decide whether the former Yugoslav Macedonia will change its name. Athens and Skopje have been at odds over the name since the fall of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
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A 'yes' vote would also allow Macedonia to apply for membership of Nato and the EU. For the referendum to be valid, turnout needs to reach at least 50%. But the referendum is non-binding and would require constitutional change as well as parliamentary approval. 'No' voters say that the country will lose its national identity if the deal with Greece is ratified.