National Assembly of Macedonia (1880)

The National Assembly of Macedonia was established in 1880, as a reaction to the Congress of Berlin (1878) and composed of 32 representatives from all over Macedonia.^[1] The biographies of certain members like, the Greek Leonidas Vulgaris,^[2] reveal Greek influence, both official and unofficial. Not much is known about this assembly and its temporary government. Rumours circulated about its members, depicting them as Greek or Russian agents. However their Manifesto bears specific and local Macedonian identity-building.

Between May 21 and June 2, in Gremen Teke, Ostrovo area (Greek: Άρνισσα), Monastir Province, Ottoman Empire (now Macedonia (Greece), it held its first session. The Assembly was summoned to review the political situation of the country after the Berlin Congress and the indifference of the Great Forces to force the Ottoman Empire to implement the mandatory Article 23 from the Berlin Agreement, namely to give Macedonia a special autonomous status. On the agenda were the activities that need to be taken to achieve the “national cause”. The Assembly concluded that even after the latest big changes on the Balkans, when all other Christian nations gained national freedom and statehood: “Romania, Serbia and Montenegro gained a full independence, and Bulgaria, East Rumelia and Crete gained civil rights, it is only Macedonia, that had its own civilization from the most ancient times, was left without any help”. Than the National Assembly “unanimously decided to demand from the Ottoman state and Great powers swift implementation of the Article 23 of the Berlin Agreement for the Macedonian nation and for Macedonia”.

National Assembly elected a Provisional Government of Macedonia, named “Unity” as an executive and operational body that will undertake all necessary activities to achieve the “national cause: creation of Macedonian state”. It was decided that they will first demand, using legal means, a right for autonomy, recognized by the Great powers and sanctioned by the international Berlin Agreement from 1878. If the Ottoman government denies the fulfillment of this obligation, and Great powers do not force it to fulfill it, “the Provisional Government will call the Macedonian nation to arms, under the banner: Macedonia for Macedonians, to restore the ancient Macedonia.

In March 1881 the Provisional Government published a Manifest, with a protocol decision of the Macedonian National Assembly, to the diplomatic representatives of the Great powers.

This manifest is mentioned by the Bulgarian Patriarch Kiril in the Book: Б’лгарската екзархија в Одринско и Македонија след Освободителната војна (1877–1878), vol. 1/1, Софиа: Синодално издателство, 1969, p. 461-466, 485.

References

1. ^ Discourses of collective identity in Central and Southeast Europe (1770-1945) Page 481 By Balázs Trencsényi, Michal Kopeček ISBN 978-963-7326-52-3 (2006)
2. ^ Greek Federalism During the Nineteenth Century: Ideas and Projects - Page 99 by Varban N. Todorov ISBN 0880333057

Sources

• Documents on the struggle of the Macedonian people for independence and a nation-state" - volume one, page 291 published by the Faculty of Philosophy and History - University of "Cyril and Methodius" - Skopje - 1985.
• Б’лгарската екзархија в Одринско и Македонија след Освободителната војна (1877–1878), vol. 1/1, Софиа: Синодално издателство, 1969, p. 461-466, 485. by Bulgarian Patriarch Kiril.
• Македонија во билатералните и мултилатерални договори на Балканските држави 1861-1913, ред. д-р Михајло Миноски - Државен Архив на Република Македонија.