WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Although the government of Greece refuses to recognize the country name "Macedonia," many of its Balkans neighbors do recognize the name. A regional median of 60% of respondents from six Balkan nations and special areas, including Macedonia, say they agree with the use of the name "Macedonia," even if Greece is against it.
More than 100 countries, including the United States, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom, recognize Macedonia's constitutional name -- Republic of Macedonia. But Greece argues that its northern neighbor has no right to claim the name "Macedonia" because it already uses the name for a northern Greek province. Greece also worries that Macedonia's adoption of the name may lead to future claims on the Greek province. Many of Macedonia's neighbors surveyed tell Gallup that they would support the name "Macedonia," even if Greece does not. A majority of respondents in Albania (65%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (59%), Kosovo (60%), and Serbia (55%) say they would agree to officially call Macedonia by this name, while just under half (47%) of people in Montenegro say the same.
Greece has threatened to block Macedonia's entrance into NATO and the European Union if the long-standing dispute over the country's constitutional name is not resolved. While Gallup did not ask Greeks about this issue specifically, other Gallup data show a significant number of Greeks view Macedonia as hostile toward their country. More than 4 in 10 (42%) Greeks say they believe that Macedonia is hostile toward their country. About 3 in 10 (29%) Greeks consider Macedonia neutral, but far fewer (12%) consider it friendly.
Survey Methods
Results are based on face-to-face interviews with 834 adults in Montenegro, aged 15 and older, conducted in December 2006 and January 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.
Results are based on face-to-face interviews with approximately 1,000 adults in Albania, Greece, Macedonia, and Kosovo, and 1,556 adults in Serbia, aged 15 and older, conducted throughout 2006 and 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.
Results are based on face-to-face interviews with 2,002 adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina, aged 15 and older, conducted throughout 2006 and 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
