By Risto Karajkov由risto karajkov

With its expansion ever since the end of the cold war, the European Union has been increasingly projecting itself as a moral force in global affairs.與它的擴大，自冷戰結束後，歐洲聯盟已日益預測本身作為一個道德力量，在全球事務中。 It has called itself a community of values and has been tirelessly repeating to would-be members that full embrace of democracy and human and minority rights is the only way into the club.它呼籲本身就是一個社會的價值觀，並一直堅持不懈地重複，以將要各位委員充分的懷抱，民主和人權和少數民族權利是唯一的出路進入俱樂部。

No one has learned this refrain better than eager candidates from the Western Balkans.沒有人了解，這總比不急於候選人從西巴爾幹地區。 There, the idea of joining the European Union has been put on a pedestal.在那裡，構思加入歐洲聯盟已提上一台階。 Europe symbolizes everything that is good, as opposed to the wicked backwardness of Balkan imperfection.歐洲象徵的一切是好的，作為反對惡人落後的巴爾幹美中不足。 Countries there need to constantly strive to democratize and reform in hope that they can one day join.國家有需要不斷努力的民主化和改革，希望他們能一天加入。

As much as this idea is unreservedly accepted, it appears that it is not fully corroborated by facts on the ground.高達這種想法是毫無保留地接受，看來，這是沒有充分證實了的事實。 Some of the countries in the (geographic) Balkans that seem to have very serious issues with respect of minority rights are in fact European Union member states.一些國家的（地理）巴爾幹地區似乎有非常嚴重的問題與尊重少數人權利的，其實是在歐洲聯盟會員國。

Both Greece and Bulgaria adamantly refuse to recognize their Macedonian minority.雙方希臘和保加利亞堅決拒絕承認他們的馬其頓少數群體。 Both countries have lost cases before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.這兩個國家失去了案件之前，歐洲人權法庭在斯特拉斯堡。 They continue to stubbornly refuse to comply with the court’s decisions to allow the registration of the political parties of their Macedonian minorities.他們繼續頑固地拒絕遵守法院的決定，允許登記的政黨，他們的馬其頓少數民族。 At the same time they do not have a problem using their leverage as members of the European Union to impose unprincipled conditions on Macedonia.在同一時間，他們不有一個問題，利用其槓桿作用，作為歐洲聯盟成員國施加無原則的條件對馬其頓。 Greece has already made a name for itself doing just that.希臘已經取得了一個名稱為自己所做的，只是。 Bulgaria shows signs it might take the same road.保加利亞有跡象顯示它可能採取同樣的道路。

Last month Greece vetoed Macedonia’s entry into NATO over the name dispute.上個月否決了希臘馬其頓加入北約以上的名稱的爭議。 Athens opposes the use of the name “Macedonia” by Skopje, as Greece claims it is exclusive part of its cultural heritage.雅典反對使用名稱“馬其頓”斯科普里，作為希臘的索賠，這是獨家的一部分，其文化遺產。 Greece threatened it would also block Macedonia in the European Union unless a solution to the name dispute is found that is to its liking.希臘的威脅，它也阻止馬其頓在歐洲聯盟，除非解決名稱爭議的是，發現是其喜好。 Greece’s move pushed Macedonia into political crisis.希臘的舉動推到馬其頓的政治危機。 The government called early elections.政府呼籲提前舉行大選。

Europe has been continuously labeling Turkey (non-European Union state) as a rogue with regards to human rights standards, but (the few) Armenians in Turkey have their churches and schools.歐洲一直不斷貼標土耳其（非歐洲聯盟國家）作為一個無賴就人權標準，但（少數） ，亞美尼亞人在土耳其有他們的教堂和學校。 Greece’s denial goes so far that it does not even allow the free self-determination of the Macedonian minority, let alone start to discuss standards in education, use of mother tongue, or political participation.希臘的否認，雲迄今為止，它甚至不容許自由的自決權，馬其頓少數，更遑論開始討論標準，在教育方面，使用的母語，或參與政治。 Last month the European Free Alliance, a European political party, staged an event in the European Parliament to protest this discrimination in Greece and called the Macedonian minority there one of the “last unrecognized minorities in Europe.”在上個月的歐洲自由聯盟，歐洲的政黨，上演一事件在歐洲議會，以抗議這種歧視在希臘和馬其頓所謂的少數民族之一，有“最後無法辨識的少數民族在歐洲” 。

In Albania (non-European Union state), often described as the most backward country in Europe, the small Macedonian minority freely votes their own and has a mayor in the region of Mala Prespa.在阿爾巴尼亞（非歐洲聯盟國家） ，經常被描述為最落後的國家，在歐洲，小馬其頓少數人的自由票自己有一個市長在該地區的馬拉普雷斯帕。 In Bulgaria, a novel member of the European community of values, around a hundred members of the unrecognized political party of the Macedonian minority OMO Ilinden Pirin were called by the police for “talks” last week, because they engaged in organizing a small historic commemoration.在保加利亞，一種新型的成員之一，歐洲社會的價值觀，周圍100成員對無法辨識的政黨，馬其頓少數民族奧妙ilinden皮林，被稱為是由警方為“會談”上週，因為他們從事在組織一個小型的歷史性的紀念。 A classical tactic of police intimidation.一個古典的手法，警方恐嚇。

Trying to play an honest broker and stabilize the Balkans, the United States pushed hard to get Macedonia into NATO but could not fight the Greek veto.試圖扮演一個誠實的中間人和穩定巴爾幹，美國推難求馬其頓加入北約，但未能撲滅，希臘否決權。 In the process even Washington got entangled in the primitive Balkan nationalisms that simply refuse to accept that people are free to declare as they wish.在這個過程中，甚至華盛頓得到糾纏於原始巴爾幹民族主義根本拒絕接受，人是自由申報，因為他們的願望。

State Department official Daniel Fried during his recent visit to Athens had to argue with the Greeks over this purportedly basic human entitlement.美國國務院官員丹尼爾弗里德在他最近訪問雅典曾辯稱與希臘人在這個據稱是人類的基本權利。 His counterparts reportedly told him there was no such thing as Macedonians.據報導，他的同行告訴他，有沒有這樣的事，作為馬其頓。 His answer, rephrased, involved something like “Oh, but I was there last week.他的答案，改寫，所涉及的一些想“哦，但我是有上週。 I saw them.”我看到他們“ 。

State Department spokespeople get into semantic discussions on a regular basis with a legendary Greek journalist at press briefings over whether there is a Macedonian identity, nation, or language.美國國務院發言人進入語義的討論，定期的基礎上與傳奇的希臘記者在新聞發布會是否有一個馬其頓的身份，一個民族，一個或語言。

For Greeks, Macedonians are “Slavs” who are stealing Greece’s history by calling themselves Macedonians.為希臘人，馬其頓人是“斯拉夫人”誰是竊取希臘的歷史是由自稱為馬其頓人。 For the Bulgarians, they are Bulgarian kin who have been brainwashed during Tito’s Yugoslavia, and think they are Macedonian, but are actually Bulgarian.為保加利亞人，他們是誰保健已洗腦期間，鐵托的南斯拉夫，並認為他們是馬其頓語，但實際上卻是保加利亞。

The European Union has been way too condoning of Greek discriminatory demands pointed against Macedonia.歐洲聯盟一直方式過於縱容的希臘歧視性的要求，指出對馬其頓。 Back in 1992 it adopted an infamous Lisbon document that said the new country could not use the name “Macedonia” and it postponed its recognition.早在1992年通過了一項臭名昭著的里斯本文件說，新的國家不能使用的名稱“馬其頓” ，並推遲其的承認。 It softened over time in view of reality.它軟化，隨著時間的推移，鑑於現實的。 Macedonia was recognized by the United Nations in 1993, under the provisional name of “former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (FYROM).馬其頓是為聯合國所承認的在1993年，根據臨時名稱“前南斯拉夫的馬其頓共和國” （前南斯拉夫的馬其頓共和國） 。 Over the years the European Union has not showed a sign of willingness to deal constructively with the issue.多年來，歐洲聯盟並沒有表現出的跡象，願意建設性地處理這個問題。 Only last week one of its committees had to change in a document all reference to “Macedonian language” or “Macedonian culture” to “the language of FYROM” and so forth, in face of Greek pressure.僅在上週之一，其屬下的委員會不得不改變的一份文件中所有提到的“馬其頓語”或“馬文化”到“語文前南斯拉夫的馬其頓共和國”等等，在面對希臘的壓力。

The bottom line is that one should be free to declare as she or he feels.底線是一應可自由申報，因為她或他的感覺。 That is the substance of the right to free expression of identity.這是實質的權利，自由表達意見的身份。 Restrictions to this end, whatever the pretext or ideology, are limitations of freedom and serious infringement of democratic standards.的限制，為此，無論為藉口，或意識形態，是限制自由的嚴重侵犯和對民主的標準。 If on top of that the people subject to such restrictions are made to fear to speak their language in public, or have no schools for their kids in their mother tongue, or even fear persecution, for them the society they live in is not democratic.如果對最重要的是人民群眾受到這樣的限制是為了恐懼發言，他們的語言在公共，或有沒有學校，為他們的孩子在他們的母語，或什至害怕受到迫害，為他們的社會，他們生活在沒有民主。

One must be free to declare as he or she wants.一，必須免費申報作為他或她要。 The same way the European Union promotes democracy abroad, it needs to do it in its own yard.同樣的方式，歐洲聯盟在國外促進民主，它需要做的，它在自己的碼。 If judicial action is not enough and it obviously isn’t, Brussels must take more-decisive political action and demand that its members recognize minorities.如果司法行動是不夠的，它顯然不是，布魯塞爾必須採取更果斷的政治行動，並要求其成員承認少數。

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