Athens urges removal of disputed North Macedonian textbook content
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou told parliament Athens wants passages described as 'revisionist' and 'irredentist' removed, citing the Prespa Agreement.
Athens has asked Skopje to remove passages from North Macedonian schoolbooks that it regards as inconsistent with the Prespa Agreement, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou told the Hellenic Parliament on October 1, 2026.
In parliament Papadopoulou said, "Athens demands the removal of what it describes as 'revisionist and irredentist claims' from school textbooks used in North Macedonia."
Background and parliamentary exchange
The issue was raised in response to a question by MP Giorgos Rountas of the right‑wing Niki party, who pointed to an official sixth‑grade Macedonian language textbook. Rountas said the book describes the "fatherland" as "always enslaved and tormented" and refers to Alexander the Great as "Alexander the Macedonian" without making a clear distinction between the ancient Macedonians and the modern identity of citizens of North Macedonia.
Papadopoulou reiterated that schoolbooks are approved and printed by each country's ministry of education, but insisted Athens will continue to press for what it considers accurate representations of historical events, terminology and the origin and identity of historical figures such as Alexander the Great and Philip II.
She invoked Articles 7 and 8 of the Prespa Agreement (2018) and noted that Article 8 established a Joint Commission on historical, archaeological and educational issues to review curricula, textbooks and related materials and to recommend changes where needed. The commission's mandate includes addressing alleged irredentist and revisionist claims in line with UNESCO and Council of Europe principles. The commission reportedly meets at least twice a year, alternating between Athens and Skopje; its last meeting was held in Athens in May 2026 and its records are treated as confidential.
The dispute over school content is part of broader, ongoing challenges in implementing the Prespa Agreement, which entered into force in 2019 and aimed to settle the decades‑long name dispute. The matter remains politically sensitive in both Greece and North Macedonia, where Athens has in the past reacted to uses of the name "Macedonia" rather than the constitutional name "Republic of North Macedonia."
Photo: press material from the event
