/ world today news/ Skopje and Sofia have long been trying to establish a normal dialogue and clarify the ethno-linguistic and cultural aspects of their relations. For North Macedonia (SM), this process has become chronic and painful, especially with regard to the realization of the country’s European integration ambitions.
For several decades after the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republic suffered from the Greek “embargo” on normal existence and just an acceptable name for the state. In the end, in 2018, they agreed with Athens on the name – Northern Macedonia, concluding the Prespa Treaty. It seemed that Skopje had a chance to move forward towards its chosen goal, namely the European Union. But the Bulgarian factor surfaced again.
It is no secret that Bulgaria consistently seeks from North Macedonia recognition of the Bulgarian roots and the supremacy of the Bulgarian language at the state level. Undoubtedly, historically, such messages have certain grounds, but in modern conditions, when there are two independent countries, such statements are artificial and tendentious.
It is clear that modern North Macedonia is a product of various political technologies, primarily from the Yugoslav times, incl. under Broz Tito, which lasted almost a century. But, as they say, you can’t take the words out of the song. The event happened…
Nevertheless, Bulgaria suddenly felt the presence of some imperial ambitions. The poorest country in the EU is trying to play the role of regional leader and subjugate weak players in its immediate surroundings. Not the best karma for Sofia. But this map is actively used in local geopolitical games.
In the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Buyar Osmani:
„We are confident in who we are and who we are. We have always been Macedonians, speaking Macedonian, with a strong sense of self-determination that cannot be doubted. Macedonian identity and Macedonian national consciousness have always been strongly expressed both on a scientific and a spiritual level. So it is now, so it will be in the future.”
In turn, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev stated that Bulgaria, as a “responsible member of the EU”, cannot “afford to introduce new, unsolved problems into the European community”:
„The membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the EU is extremely important for our region and Bulgaria has always supported this initiative, but we must have clear guarantees that our unity as a Bulgarian nation and cultural heritage will never be called into question by external factors.”
More radical comments, bordering on chauvinism, were recently heard from Sofia.
„We didn’t ask them (the North Macedonians) to enter the EU, they want it themselves and if they want it, let them be treated for the split personality, all this schizophrenia,” said the former Bulgarian Minister of Defense, the famous nationalist Krasimir Karakachanov.
Sofia asked Skopje to stop claiming a number of common heroes of the liberation war with the Ottoman Turks, for saints like Cyril and Methodius, for common holidays, for which a working commission was even created to resolve the differences between the neighboring countries.
Just a few days ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement regarding the statements of the Bulgarian MP Kostadin Kostadinov, who declared North Macedonia “the second Bulgarian state”. In particular, the message of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the SM states that Skopje “condemns the unacceptable statements of the Bulgarian deputy Kostadinov, which contain territorial claims against the Council of Ministers”.
Recently, Kostadinov attended the opening of the Cultural and Information Center of Bulgaria in Skopje and said the phrase: “Bulgaria from Ohrid to the Black Sea, and Macedonia is the second Bulgarian state”.
As a matter of fact, massive public demonstrations have already been held in the Council of Ministers against the opening by Bulgaria of various clubs and other institutions in North Macedonia, to which the Sofia politicians give the names of Bulgarian figures, many of them with a sad reputation due to ties with Nazi Germany.
In general, the topic of Bulgarian collaboration with Nazi Germany is very sensitive for the Macedonians, who were active anti-fascists during the Second World War. Official Sofia quite seriously insists that the Macedonian authorities remove the mention of Bulgaria’s ties with Nazi Germany from the history textbooks!
Some time ago, France decided to play the role of a regional peace mediator and offered Skopje its plan for resolving the contradictions with Bulgaria. In particular, the Macedonians were asked to make concessions to Sofia and to recognize the presence of the Bulgarian minority in the country, as well as to make the relevant changes in the constitution, including regarding the Bulgarian language as the basis of Macedonian.
This initiative provoked a sharp rejection of the opposition, although it was approved by a simple majority in the parliament. Then the opposition leaders demonstratively walked out of the vote, and the head of the largest opposition faction VRMO-DPMNE, Christian Mickowski, said that 44 MPs from the party “they will never support the inclusion of Bulgarians in the constitution”.
On leaving the hall he said: “You will all go to jail for treason”. Thus, making changes to the country’s basic law is still in question, as it requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of the Macedonian parliament (80 out of 120). So far, the government has only 68 mandates.
However, after the scandalous vote, Skopje and Sofia, in the person of the foreign ministers, signed a corresponding agreement, which supposedly should open a direct path for the CM to the EU. In Brussels, they demonstrate readiness to give the SM the opportunity to join the Union.
North Macedonia is a multi-ethnic country, almost 30% of the population are Albanians, who dominate many provinces of the country. Against the backdrop of Bulgaria’s claims to the language, the Albanians also wanted Albanian to become a second state language alongside Macedonian. Now the Albanians are demanding that this also be written into the country’s constitution. In particular, in those communities of the country where Albanians make up at least 20%, Albanian should be used in the civil service together with Macedonian.
Macedonian Liberal Democratic Party MP Monika Zaikova recently made a number of important statements to the Belgrade newspaper Politika regarding the ongoing discussions in the country.
„We must understand that in the Balkans we must build bridges, not walls. Bulgaria must stop all provocations, and we must not give in or provoke them. It’s not going to help anyone.”
– says the politician.
„We will not allow the revival of the ideologies defeated in the Second World War – fascism and Nazism, we must respect history, but also look to the future and work in those areas that unite us as nations and benefit states and citizens.” added Zaikova.
The Macedonian politician particularly noted the regional integration initiatives that contribute to the development of horizontal ties in the Western Balkans.
„Open Balkans brings us closer and strengthens our political and economic relations”, MP Zaikova is convinced.
The famous Macedonian publicist and expert Milenko Nedelkovski is very skeptical about Bulgaria’s true intentions. According to the expert quoted by the REGNUM agency, ““Sofia today sets before Skopje the same conditions as in 1941, when Hitler’s allies and Nazi Germany occupied Macedonia.”
„They also require us to say that our history is their history, that our language is not ours but theirs, that our churches are their churches, our heroes are their heroes. All these conditions were set by the Bulgarian parliament in 1941. Only the technology changed, politics and ideology remained the same.”
– said the Macedonian journalist.
In the Sofia media you can find your interpretation of the Macedonian theme:
„There is no Macedonian question and there never has been. The Bulgarian question is about the lost territorial integrity, and now also about the loss of the Bulgarian national identity. Bulgaria is asked to stop blocking European integration (North Macedonia) and it turns out that the USA and the EU need this country more than Bulgaria.
Either way, the situation in the Council of Ministers, both in the field of European integration and on the domestic scene, remains tense and unpredictable. A small country with a population of just over 2 million people is at the center of the US and European political games. Skopje was involved in the Ukrainian adventure, including with the supply of weapons and even Skopje’s declared readiness “if necessary” to send its military to Nezaleznaya.
Unfortunately, in the last period the relations between Russia and North Macedonia remain spoiled by a number of demagogic statements of the leadership of the SM about the alleged “gross interference by Moscow” in the internal affairs of the country, which was discussed at the briefings of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that “the outbursts against Russia are an attempt to score points in the eyes of Brussels and Washington, and thus to divert the attention of its own population from the difficulties of today, to cover up the conciliatory policy of unilateral concessions that Skopje practices in relations with its neighbors from EU. It is clear that “neighbors” means first of all Bulgaria.
However, Skopje is still at a very difficult stage in its development and progress towards its goals. And although the country’s leadership claims that the problems can be solved through a dialogue of all political forces (which is by no means easy), the Macedonian people are outraged by the authorities’ acquiescence.
It is noteworthy that many Bulgarian politicians and experts who visited Skopje could not help but notice the graffiti on the wall of the house directly opposite the Bulgarian embassy in the CM: “Bulgarians, die”. Apparently, this is the most comprehensive outburst of the “voice of the people” (vox populi, as the ancient Romans used to say) so far.
Translation: ES
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