Our foreign policy is being tested on many fronts

We have become involved in Eurovision due to the anti-Semitic incidents carried out by Malmö Islamists and the inappropriate behavior of the singer chosen by public television to represent Greece. Order was restored by a vote of European citizens. Everything else is for lunch, we will move on.

Greek foreign policy found itself faced with three issues, and others could be faced with conditions. Let me start with the least painful topic, which is the speech that Edi Rama gave in Athens to his compatriots working in our country.

It is good to give this visit a real dimension and remove its dramatic character. What did the Albanian Prime Minister do? What a lot of Greek politicians who visit northern Epirus and talk to northern Epirus do. It is logical in such matters that there be reciprocity, otherwise the state that denies this is exposed. The fact that our country’s relations with Albania are bad – with the other side solely responsible – does not mean that we will not play by the rules as an EU member state.

The second matter, with its potentially serious internal side effects, relates to what the new president of the so-called “North Macedonia” said, which violated the Prespa Agreement and called its homeland “Macedonia.” Now the Greek government is in an uncomfortable position to call on the neighboring country to implement the agreement, which it (the Greek government) considers a bad agreement. But in this way he becomes politically exposed on the home front to an audience – mainly in northern Greece – with whom he has problems communicating anyway.

Now efforts to reach this audience in the run-up to the European elections are becoming more difficult. It is usual that when an agreement is rejected by a majority of the two peoples involved, that agreement will have many problems in its implementation, and this was also shown in the Prespa Agreement. Our neighbors have joined NATO under their new name, and finally, their new president may not take any further steps, given the international consequences of her actions.

The third, and most serious, issue concerns Greek-Turkish relations. Fortunately, it is clear to the majority of the political world and commentators in Greece that improving these relations has its limits. Problems that come from the past, no Greek government can not only solve them, but not even touch them. On the other hand, Tayyip Erdogan, with his courage, continues his challenges, wanting to establish the necessary conditions for improving bilateral relations. There are Greek politicians and commentators who call for maintaining this good climate at all costs, but without telling us what we will sacrifice for the sake of this good climate. Good atmosphere yes, but within the framework of reciprocity.

As for the fourth issue that Greek foreign policy may face at the appropriate time, it is related to the recognition of the Palestinian state. Then we will certainly face a Turkish-Palestinian agreement on the exclusive economic zone. I’m just mentioning it and it’s good to be Prometheus and not Prometheus.