Rainbow/Vinozhito is alive and kicking

Rainbow/Vinozhito, the political party representing Macedonians in Greece, is one of the most effective forces in promoting the interests of Macedonians in the balkans. It has been ingored for years, but seems to be making more stride of late.

Reality Macedonia : Rainbow/Vinozhito Letter to EU Council of Foreign Affairs Regarding Macedonia Name Issue

Florina/Lerin, April 21, 2005

TO: The members of the EU Commission on External Relations
Honorable Foreign Ministers

Dear Mr. Minister,

On the occasion of the recent developments in the relations between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia concerning the issue of our neighboring country’s name as well as its prospective accession into the European Union, permit us to point out the following.

We are members of the national Macedonian minority in Greece as well as members of the Rainbow Party, which has been active in Greek politics since 1994 and in the European Parliament via the European Free Alliance (5 EMPs), which Rainbow joined in 2000. We have every respect for your undertaking with the “Macedonian issue”, for which we wish you every success, and we would like to express our views on the issue of the name – and thus perhaps assist you in your endeavor.

Our political position on the issue of the name of the Republic of Macedonia is based on the democratic principle that every individual and every people has the right to choose the name by which it wishes to define itself. We believe that this individual and collective democratic right is a European as well as a universal value. After all, it is on the basis of this principle that we call ourselves ethnic Macedonians in Greece.