Every day following Zoran Zaev’s statement that Macedonians were stealing history from their neighbors brings another comment in the same general direction. Zaev gave an interview with the Greek Alfa TV where he made the controversial comment, and it immediately prompted approving responses from neighboring countries, where local nationalists insist that the Macedonian nation is artificial and has appropriated heroes, historic events, traditions and, ultimately, territory, from its neighbors.

The same day Zaev gave his interview, similar comments were also made Borislav Jovic, the last President of Socialist Yugoslavia, who presided over the initial stage of the country’s collapse. Jovic, in an interview with the Espreso news site, lamented the establishment of the Macedonian and the Montenegrin nations, insisting that they should have been considered as Serbs.

There were three nations that constituted Yugoslavia – Serbs, Croats and Slovenians. Now we also have Macedonians and Montenegrins, who were previously united in a state with the Serbs. The Montenegrins are Serbs. The Macedonian nation was made up to create another artificial republic. That Macedonian nation was not recognized by neither the Greek nor the Bulgarian communist parties. Josip Broz Tito didn’t care about their positions, he did all he could to have as many separate republics as possible within Yugoslavia, Jovic said in his interview.

Zaev’s theory is that, by making unilateral concessions toward its neighbors, Macedonia can get them to stop denying the existence of the Macedonian nation and that, as a result of this appeasement, others will recognize Macedonian sovereignty.