Nikola Dimitrov: ‘The bridge might collapse without care’

The former foreign minister of North Macedonia and one of the signatories of the name deal with Greece in 2018, Nikola Dimitrov is cautiously optimistic that the Prespa Agreement will survive the recent shift in the political landscape in Skopje.

"There is, honestly, too much to lose and too little to gain if we take the destructive path," he tells Kathimerini in an interview days after the victory of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE in his country's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Dimitrov comments on the party's ascent and accuses the European Union of making a "major strategic mistake" by delaying the start of accession negotiations after the signing of the accord. 

He also notes that there are issues with the implementation of the deal from both sides, while adding that he believes neither of the two countries realizes just how difficult reaching the...