Bulgaria blocked North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations
Bulgaria has blocked the negotiations between North Macedonia and the European Union.
North Macedonia will not start accession negotiations with the European Union, as Bulgaria has refused to approve the negotiating framework due to open issues regarding history and language.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said that the government in Sofia supports the start of Albania's negotiations, but cannot support the start of North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations, the Bulgarian portal Novinite reports.
Despite the fierce opposition of the vast majority of EU member states, the authorities in Sofia blocked the start of North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations, thereby seriously calling into question the credibility of Brussels as well as Zoran Zaev's Macedonian government.
Essentially, Bulgaria believes that negotiations with Skopje must not begin before issues related to the national identity of the Macedonians are resolved, as well as several historical figures, such as the Macedonian national hero Goce Delčev.
Bulgaria is also reproaching North Macedonia for „celebrating the figure and work“ of Josip Broz Tito, stating that a country that „wants to join the EU cannot celebrate one of the darkest dictators.“.
At the same time, the Bulgarian portal „Novinite“ published a commentary according to which „Yugoslav chauvinism“ is responsible for the creation of the Macedonian language, with the aim of „denying the Bulgarian national identity.“.
The alleged celebration of Tito is the latest in a series of objections raised by Bulgaria against Skopje ahead of the start of North Macedonia's negotiations with the European Union.
What does Sofija want?
In 2017, Bulgaria and Macedonia signed the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborly Relations and Cooperation, which Skopje considers the sole precondition for the start of EU accession negotiations.
Authorities in Sofia, on the other hand, believe that before the start of negotiations, it is necessary to resolve issues related to the Macedonian national identity, specifically the issue of the language and the identity of national heroes, among whom is Goce Delčev.
Essentially, Sofia is seeking to halt demands that Macedonians in Bulgaria be granted the status of a national minority, which, as Zaharieva claims, will be resolved when Skopje acknowledges that the Macedonian language and identity have Bulgarian roots.
Bulgaria is the sole country blocking the signing of the border management agreement between North Macedonia and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
Sofia insists that the Macedonian language henceforth be called the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia, or in certain cases with a footnote explaining: „According to the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia.“.
Bulgaria also states that „the Macedonian language was created in 1944“ and can only be considered as „a written regional form of the Bulgarian language.“.
Bulgaria has blocked the negotiations, and how this will affect the situation in the Balkan region remains to be seen.
SOURCE: RTS AND PHOTO: LIFE.BA
