Skopje and Athens in Monument(al) Race

After the Macedonian Government had announced the building of a large monument of Alexander the Great in downtown Skopje, Greek daily Proto Thema has announced a political figure in Athens is working around the clock to 'beat' Skopje and place a monument before the Macedonians. MINA's sources claim Alexander's monument is already built and shipped via Firenza and is located in Skopje, awaiting modifications around the downtown plateau; rerouting water pipes for the large fountain.  Proto Thema claims the monument in Athens is financed by the leader of ultra radical and anti semitic party LAOS Georgios Karatzaferis who in 2006 gave the Hitler salute during a LAOS convention in Salonica. The Karatzaferis' funded monument is said to be 6 meters tall, depicting the ancient Macedonian leader on a horse. What is odd concerning Alexander's monument in Greece is that Historians and Archeologists have strongly protested the erection of a monument of Alexander the Great. Their reasoning was that he was a 'foreigner' who invaded the area (Athens, Sparta...). Athens is said to posses a monument of Alexander, however the Greek Archeological lobby has blocked his placement in Athens for more than 20 years. Numerous Macedonian Governments had planned erecting a monument of Alexander the Great. As irony would have it, it was the SDSM, Macedonian political party known for their closeness to Greece's leadership who first approved the plans for a monument in 2003. Local architects Kristijan Jordanov, Ana Damevska and Gordana Mitrovic came up with the design, for which they won 1,000 euros. The current Macedonian Government is following up on the plans from 2003, however, because the current Prime Minister is the first Macedonian political figure to stand up to Greek bullying, it is viewed as a 'provocation' by Athens. This monument is said to be 22 meters in height. Other monuments in Skopje will follow: those of Goce Delchev, Czar Samuel, Pitu Guli etc.   http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/13457/46/