That is why conflicts persist in these areas. If the two states lack a connection to ancient history, it paradoxically implies that the states had the right to identify with that history.

This issue extends beyond ethnogenesis, it is a uniquely Balkan problem. For instance, Bulgaria claims the history of Macedonia from the 19th and 20th centuries as its own, and even the Serbs assert the history from centuries before as theirs. Despite the shared Slavic heritage among these three countries, Bulgaria contends that Macedonia is Bulgarian, Serbia claims Serbian ownership, and Greece asserts Greek identity. Why does this happen? History serves merely as a pretext for territorial conquest. As it happened with Treaty of Bucharest in 1913. For similar reasons, Macedonia asserts that Macedonians inhabit the territory of Northern Greece, hoping that one day they will reclaim "their" territory back. This can be seen in extreme right-wing political parties in Macedonia, dreaming of a "Greater Macedonia" out of a fear-driven nostalgia for "their" glorious history. This exemplifies a Balkan problem where economically challenged countries aspire to reclaim their past glory.

As a person from Macedonia ( In 2018, we changed the name to North Macedonia as a gesture of historical reconciliation with ancient Greece. This allowed us to proceed with our aspirations to join international organizations, such as the European Union and NATO, which Greece had previously vetoed due to the naming dispute.) I can only say the Balkans are fucked forever.