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Victoria Mindova

In recent years, Greece has attracted the attention of international media from around the world. Journalists from all over the world gather at the scene during strikes, protests and critical meetings of political leaders to cover the decisions related to the future not only of the country but also of the region.

Sanja Ristovska, a reporter for the Macedonian Channel 5, is always present at such events along with GRReporter.

Greece's veto on the issue of the official name of the country remains number one among the foreign-policy interests of the former Yugoslav republic. In 2009, Sanja was sent to Athens as a correspondent with the task of following the issue of Macedonia's name. The financial crisis has played a decisive role in the foreign policy of Greece and the issue of Macedonia's name has dropped out of the list of problems that Greece is to immediately resolve.

Always smiling, with a microphone in hand and a camera on her shoulders, Sanja has been closely following the political and economic developments in Greece. Whether it is a briefing at the Foreign Ministry or a protest with Molotov cocktails against the government policies, Sanja is always on the scene with the sole purpose of objectively reflecting Greek reality.

"I believe that we, journalists, are obliged to present the events in an objective manner and to support the integration between people from different countries," says the Macedonian reporter in the preliminary conversation.

The vocation

Sanja started her career as a journalist as a teenager, in a show for adolescents. She is a passionate football fan and along with her father, she has been at the stadium since childhood. She graduated in Italian Philology and was a teacher in Italian for a short while. She speaks four foreign languages, but has a particular affinity for Greek. Her love for journalism and sports has driven her to seek professional fulfilment in the media.

Her first goal was to become a sports journalist. The hot issue between the two neighbouring countries and her knowledge of the Greek language have determined her fate and she has become a political correspondent in Athens. "If someone had told me five or six years ago that I would have lived in Athens, I would not have believed it," she is laughing.

The Mediterranean wind

Sanja’s first acquaintance with Greece was during the summer holidays with her parents as a child. "When I grew up, I came on holiday here with two of my friends. Then I felt for the first time how interesting the Greek language is. I started taking private lessons in Skopje which gave me the basis. In 2007-2008, I won a state scholarship to study Greek language at the University of Ioannina. It was a great experience."

She explains that she has been offered the position of correspondent in Athens because she speaks the language. Initially, she was sent for six months but her position has become permanent in the wake of the economic crisis.

"I assumed the position of reporter in Athens in the autumn of 2009. I had the opportunity to live the last easier months of the life in Greece before the country signed the first Memorandum of financial assistance and the economic crisis deepened."

Her expectations were different at first. "I noticed that in the beginning, when I came, the people were not very interested in the issue of Macedonia’s name. I did not face bigotry although I had expected it. The position of the Greeks has been a bit sharper after the deepening of the crisis and the rise in popularity of Golden Dawn but that is normal."

The voices of extremes

"The official political line of Macedonia does not contain claims to parts of Greece or other countries. However, there are people who believe that after 100 years of the Treaty of Bucharest, which are to be celebrated now in 2013, Macedonia should unite. These are extreme voices. I am saying again that this is not the official policy."

"My personal opinion is that we have suffered enough in the Balkans - wars, conflicts and other disputes. Even in our recent history. Now it is time to calm down and see how we can live in harmony. We need to focus on solving all open issues between the Balkan countries in order for the region to stabilize and for us to move forward."

The journalist states that very often, publicity is being given to negative news due to which the people form a wrong view of the neighbouring country.

"Indeed, there are cases that show intolerance. One example is the case of tourists on whose car strangers had written obscenities about Macedonia or the case of a member of Golden Dawn, who had stopped a truck to remove a sticker containing the inscription MK. This is not indicative of the general sentiment in the country, these are isolated incidents. The people in Greece are generally tolerant and polite. If they were not I probably would not have been able to withstand four years here."

"In Macedonia, there is a tendency to believe that Greece is an enemy. On the other hand, over 20,000 Macedonians have spent their holidays in Greece, indicating that these sentiments are not so extreme for all." She does not deny that Greece is the country that has blocked Macedonia's membership in the European Union and NATO but believes that this problem must be solved by politicians rather than by ordinary people.

Greece in five words

We asked Sanja to say five words that describe Greece in her opinion. They are sea, positive energy, calmness, fun and politeness. "They may have cut the salaries of the Greeks but not the afternoon coffee, entertainment or going to a tavern with family and friends. This is part of their culture and that is why I think that these things cannot be changed. If they have not changed so far, after six years of recession and crisis, they will never change."

The Greek crisis in the eyes of Macedonians

"On the one hand, the Macedonians had perceived as positive the fact that the Greeks were able to organize themselves to protest against the government policies. They united not just with the help of the unions, but they themselves were able to unite. On the other hand, many people in Macedonia know how Greece worked before and they have realized that the changes are necessary. We all know the problems with large loans, huge consumption and cheap loans. We, Macedonians, are used to living with less money and it was obvious for many of us that the profligacy in Greece could not last forever. Someone must pay the bill eventually."

According to the journalist, other nations can follow the positive example of Greece, namely that the people in the country are united in the face of problems. There may be serious differences as regards topical issues but when the time comes to solve a problem, the Greeks know how to unite.

However, she does not believe that Greece will recover rapidly. "It will take time for the Greek successes story about which Antonis Samaras is speaking to materialize. Before the outbreak of the scandal with the closure of the national broadcaster ERT, I thought that the Greeks had calmed down and realized that they would not emerge without reforms. The sharp reaction caused by the closure of ERT makes me believe that turbulent times here are not over yet. The next thing is to see how long the coalition between PASOK and New Democracy will last. Meanwhile, the issue of Macedonia's name remains in the background. Greece’s priorities are still the issues of the economy, the measures imposed by the supervisory Troika and the privatizations."

Balkan pride and prejudices

"Ever since I have been living in Greece, there have been several cases in which when I say where I come from, people start telling me that they cannot talk to me or begin trying to convince me to go along with their beliefs about Macedonia’s name. This always amazes me. Here, the people often confuse journalism with the profession of a diplomat," Sanja is laughing.

She explains that her professional life is connected mainly with the political differences between the two countries. Therefore, she refuses in her private life to enter into a discussion on the same topic, especially with people who are not ready for a dialogue. According to her, it is not a matter of national pride but of common sense, that consensus on the issue of Macedonia's name is necessary.

"I have an opinion and it is that the sooner the two countries reach an agreement, the better. Some people both in Greece and in Macedonia are still going to extremes - if you are on the other side, they cannot talk to you. I find it strange. I represent my country as a person but I am neither a diplomat nor a member of the bilateral negotiating commission to solve the problem with Macedonia’s name".

"Once I was on the street, reporting on the status of Greece. While I was talking to the camera, a man stopped and asked me where I was from. When he found out that I am from Macedonia, he insisted on making a statement. He said that he was from Thessaloniki and he disagreed with Greece’s stubbornness not to recognize the name of my country. It was almost affectionate. This report was included in the news broadcast."

The journalist stresses that the delay in solving the problem has created serious gaps in the awareness of Greeks of their north-western neighbours. Her experience shows that many people in Greece think that the name of the country is Skopje rather than the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which is the temporary name of the country because of the Greek veto. "The central political line in Greece does not recognize our name and some people here do not know that even during the time of Yugoslavia, we were part of the federation under the name of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia".

She is firm that while the governments of the two countries pass the ball to each other, the Macedonian issue will not be solved. "This makes the two countries suffer. There are many Greek investments in Macedonia. Real business is already present in the country. Trade is significant too. On the other hand, the Macedonians are interested in the opportunities for tourism in Greece. After all, we are neighbours. The two countries will benefit from reaching consensus."

The future

Sanja Ristovska loves her profession and has no intention of changing it. However, she hopes that she will not always deal with the issue of Macedonia’s name and that the two countries will find a common solution. She is ready to return to Skopje or even to go to Australia if her professional commitments take her there.

Personally, she would not preclude raising a family in Greece even though it may not be well perceived by some of her circle of friends in Macedonia. "When there is love, nothing else matters. My only requirement for the person who wants to be with me (if he is Greek) is to not find it difficult to say that I am from Macedonia because Skopje is the capital and the country is Macedonia".