Leaders of parliamentary groups in Bulgaria welcomed the EU’s decision to start accession talks with Albania and block North Macedonia until it included the Bulgarian minority in its constitution, according to Euractiv.
GERB party leader Boyko Borissov, who heads the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would try to persuade his colleagues from other parties “not to act emotionally, but coolly and reasonably” towards North Macedonia.
Patience is what is required of us. We should not look aggressive because the tactic of our colleagues in the Republic of North Macedonia is to blame us (for their failure with the EU).
Recently, another major scandal broke out between Sofia and Skopje after the North Macedonian flag was not raised during an informal meeting between the two presidents.
North Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski called Bulgarian President Rumen Radev “uncivilised.” GERB then announced that it might demand the expulsion of the ruling party of Northern Macedonia, the VMRO-DPMNE, from the European People’s Party.
Borislav Gutsanov from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (PES) stated that this was “a normal reaction of Brussels after the statement from North Macedonia. You cannot have such a vocabulary, such hatred and expect to be an EU member state.” Revival party leader Kostadin Kostadinov also welcomed Brussels’ decision.
From now on, North Macedonia has two paths to follow – either it recognises the presence of Bulgarians as the main state-building element of its country and includes them in its constitution, or it stays out of the negotiation process.
