But turnout stood at just 36.8 percent, a far cry from the massive support the government had hoped for. Opponents to the name change had called for a boycott of the vote and celebrated in the street outside Parliament when turnout figures were announced, chanting slogans and waving flags. Russia, however, is not keen on NATO expanding in a part of Europe once under its sphere of influence. If the constitutional amendments are approved by Macedonia’s parliament, Greece will then also need to ratify it. If the referendum were binding, the Macedonian Constitution requires a minimum turnout of 50 percent of eligible voters to be valid.

Source: Huffington Post October 01, 2018 07:52 UTC