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Latest update: 29/03/2011
- Albania - culture - European Union - Greece - Macedonia - tourism
Macedonia: the forbidden name (part 2)
From Skopje to Tetovo...we meet Macedonia’s large Albanian community. We also go south to the town of Bitola, well-known for its dentists, and whose shops have become a magnet for Greek tourists. Finally, we take a stroll to the stunning lakeside town of Ohrid.
Senior Producer: Loick Berrou
Presenter: Christophe Robeet
Producer: Magali Faure
Reporter: Valérie Labonne
Cameraman: Stéphane Bodenne
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Comments (5)
Bitola
Independent BITOLA.!!!
another comment
to Valérie Labonne: Valérie, I finally saw the documentary...another nice one...I understand it's not always easy to be 100% realistic and to satisfy everybody's taste, but I'm sure you and Magali did your best to be as much as realist as y...ou could :) Some things are missing and some are put too much in front, but in such limited time it's obvious that you cannot present but a very small part of a country as rich in culture, history, tradition and diversity as Macedonia is. Just one correction for you, Valérie: the concurrent of Gruevski is Branko Crvenkovski (the name is very difficult to pronounce for a French, I understand)...I also understand the few comments on the web-site of France24 (French and English) and the frustration felt by the anonymous defenders of Macedonia and the Macedonians in Greece about you not presenting the Macedonian Political Party and its leader that you and Magali both met there...it's also true that we sense in your documentary a small preferance for Greece and the Greeks, which is maybe not done consciously, but we can feel it (it's maybe normal for you, because Greece is in the EU for such a long time now), but I also would emphasize our reaction as Macedonians seeing and feeling this in a documentary which primary goal is to present our country in all its beauty :) Most of my compatriots do not agree with the "nationalist" politics lead by our current government (or at least those of us who still see clear and try to be realistic) and we are aware that this is not in favour to Macedonia and its EU and NATO integration and for that I can say that your documentary saw and presented it clearly and I can only congratulate you on that :)...in any case, thank you very much for this nice documentary and your effort, I hope this will make more Europeans to wish to visit this small and beautiful country and to make their own opinion about it...I also hope that most of them are aware that in spite of the politics and its problems, Macedonia is a beautiful country to visit, to feel and see its beauties, to feel the hospitality of the Macedonians (no matter if their nationality is Macedonian, Albanian, Turc or other) and to taste its beautiful dishes, fruits and vegetables...and I hope we all agree that this is the most important when visiting and presenting a country and its beauty :)
Journalist to a Journalist
I'm sorry to see that French-European journalists are still failing to resist the political influence, but feel free to judge us and throw stones in pay-loads! "Pay" being the key word!
But I'm not writing this in hope to judge or fix the French society, my goal is to instruct the reader to research further in order to avoid the trap set by this piece of mercenary-journalism.
In international law the UN Charter of Hyman rights is the only legal basis that determines the right of self-determination of nations and states, and by reading it you will know that the report actuality is insulting a whole nation & a country. Knowing that the rest of it is pure logic.
Esma Redzepova, The Gypsy Queen told us "gypsies where not forced to integrate" and education is free in Macedonia, even the books are provided free by the government, but the report narrated a different story. The Albanian and other minority languages has been in primary schools since the early 80's, but nobody cared to research!?
The position didn't "force" the elections...they asked for it...they will be held! But we held elections 2,5 years ago, 2 years after the previous ones, on opposition demand which they lost heavy, nobody mentioned!
Many things where not mentioned, Mother Theresa, Ct. Ciril & Methodius, The Adam of Govrlevo, The Golden Masks of Trebenishta, Kokino, Alshar, The ethic cleansing of Macedonians from Greece, e.t.c.....
This should be enough for the inquisitive mind anywhere, and I hope that if you learn a little more about us, the Macedonians, you will find it well worthwhile, as we have by learning about your French-European culture.
And please note that European means ours-Macedonian too!
MACEDON
How do you forget to ask about opinion of the Macedonian minority in greece?You forget to asked about their human right,their rights for education,and self determination!
Your job is fake....we are Macedonians,and the name of our state is Macedonia!That is in our constitution...but after all you are calling us with another name..?!?Why...!
Macedonia,Macedonian..that's who we are!
Macedonia
Valerie Labonne's hasty comment of "the greek alexander" ....anda few more igonorant half truths.. Soooo disheartening.....Why don't you people do your research ... soo many misconceptions...confusing ethnicity with cultural affiliation and political states...ughh. Those are only basic terms, how come you don't take the time to sort them out??? Responsible journalism?? ....or flashy news to get ratings... say the half truth, keep the greeks happy and muddle the issue of ethnicity and the macedonian identity some more... You must have been in Florina very briefly, if you only came accross the greek speaking inhabitants in a city that has been sistematuically cleansed of macedonians (yes, Slav speaking, still, Macedonians)....but you only found TWO greeks to tell you macedonia is greek.... nevermind the Rainwo POlicial party....ah yes, youdid find the albanian political party in tetovo but not themaceodnian political party in Florina...
maybe you should have started your show with Voltaire's favorite quote, that :Hisotry is a pack of agreed upon lies," and you, my fellow journalists, have just added a few more to the pack.. oh well.... Voltaire must be laughing at all of us, and at all of it...
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