It’s clear that Bulgaria wants more than just respect for minority rights, Mickoski tells Filipce

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, in debate with SDSM leader Venko Filipce in the parliament, said tha Macedonia’s goal is to join the European Union with dignity, and not as reimagined nation. Mickoski dismissed attempts by Bulgarian members of the European Parliament to insert words such as “present” and “modern” in the latest progress report on […] The post It’s clear that Bulgaria wants more than just respect for minority rights, Mickoski tells Filipce appeared first on Republika English.

Jun 26, 2025 - 23:45
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It’s clear that Bulgaria wants more than just respect for minority rights, Mickoski tells Filipce

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, in debate with SDSM leader Venko Filipce in the parliament, said tha Macedonia’s goal is to join the European Union with dignity, and not as reimagined nation. Mickoski dismissed attempts by Bulgarian members of the European Parliament to insert words such as “present” and “modern” in the latest progress report on Macedonia, in the sentences where the Macedonian language and identity are discussed. According to Mickoski, this proves that Bulgaria’s demands are not reduced just to greater privileges for the Bulgarian minority in Macedonia, but are aimed at declaring the Macedonians as historically Bulgarian.

I have the right to suspect that the concessions we are asked to do will not be the last. And that we will again be denied the right to get to the end of the race. The French Proposal is a unique situation where the EU membership of a country depends on a commission of historians who will interpret our history, Mickoski told Filipce, who insists that Macedonia must accept the Bulgarian demands.

The Prime Minister asked Filipce to explain why did the Zaev Governemnt he sat in agree to negotiate with Bulgaria about he Macedonian national identity and language. Mickoski said that Bulgaria should also elevate the rights of ethnic Macedonians there, in accordance with its standards, and to allow Macedonian representatives in its council on minorities, which has Armenian, Roma, Turkish, Vlach, Jewish an other representatives. Mickoski also again urged Bulgaria to begin to implement the verdicts of the European Court of human rights, which has persistently found Bulgaria to violate the rights of ethnic Macedonians to form cultural centers and other institutions.

The progress report was adopted in the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament with acknowledgement of the Macedonian language and national identity, but Bulgarian representatives will try to insert the demeaning phrases such as ‘modern Macedonian language” once the report is put before the entire European Parliament in two week stime.

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