Page 77 - BNE_magazine_06_2020 Growers

bne June 2020
Opinion 77
accept history (according to Bulgarian terms), just as Bulgaria should accept the Macedonian reality.
She argued that Bulgaria would not allow its foreign policy to be used before the Macedonian elections, but would not change its terms either. She referred to statements from North Macedonia’s politicians in defence of the Macedonian language and historical identity.
Too high a price
On the subject, North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski said that the country does not need the EU if the price of joining the union is “to accept that we are not Macedonians” and to “say that the language we speak is not Macedonian”.
In an interview with Telma, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov said on May 5 that it is impossible to build friendship if someone challenges the neighbour's identity. Dimitrov said that the language is not subject to recognition
or non-recognition because in the 21st century, especially in Europe, the right to self-determination and self-expression cannot be denied. In addition, the existence of the Macedonian language is officially recognised by the United Nations.
Dimitrov noted that the issue is old, but has been dragging on for a long time because there was no bilateral agreement. He believes that the Macedonian identity cannot be negotiated, especially after the signing of the Prespa Agreement with Greece in 2018, which opened the way for the country to join Nato and to be invited to launch EU accession talks.
North Macedonia joined Nato in March 2020, but how the country will continue on its EU path is still unclear, given that both Bulgaria and Greece can set new conditions during the negotiation process. “We need both the Macedonian language and the Macedonian identity, we can't negotiate about that,” said Dimitrov.
Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani
is more optimistic. He said that Bulgaria was one of the countries that voted for the start of negotiations with the EU and if it wanted, it could have blocked the process already.
Osmani said that Bulgaria’s notes are only one-sided remarks, but are not seen as conclusions or conditions for the start
of negotiations, although in reality the statements of the Bulgarian politicians indicate something completely different.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told the recent virtual EU-Western Balkans summit on May 6 that Bulgaria supports North Macedonia's membership of the EU, but that the friendship treaty, which seems to contain many hidden controversial demands by Bulgaria, must be respected.
“Yes, we support them, but we insist on recognising the history. If Skopje does not respect the agreement, Bulgaria can block it in any chapter,” Borissov said.
May 5 was the day of the Macedonian alphabet. “Today
we celebrate this important day, we speak the Macedonian language, which has gone through all the stages of creation, breakthrough, recognition, codification and recognition,” the interim Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski said on that occasion. “Let's keep and promote it, and pass it on to all generations after us with dignity,” said Spasovski in a video message.
The representative of the Macedonian team in the Macedonian- Bulgarian commission for historical and educational issues, Dragi Gjorgiev, recently stated that the issue of the Macedonian language was not open in their debates.
It would be absurd for that to happen, said Gjorgiev, arguing that with the recognition of the Macedonian language in the UN, that topic is closed and there is no reason for historians to talk about it.
Laying claim to history
About issues related to Delcev and other personalities and events from the late 19th and early 20th century, Bulgaria not only raised them to the highest political level, but also set them as a condition that should be met by Skopje in order to be allowed to make progress in EU membership talks, argued Gjorgiev.
“If the Skopje authorities continue to falsify history, Bulgaria will not agree to start pre-accession talks with the country”
He said he was not surprised by the demands of the Bulgarian side. "All the misunderstandings that Bulgaria has with [North] Macedonia regarding the historical controversies will try to resolve in its favour. That pressure is already being felt and will become stronger, and I think that Bulgaria will not easily give up its positions,” Gjorgiev said.
The leader of North Macedonia’s opposition VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickovski said that Delcev was the backbone
of modern Macedonia and should not be the subject of negotiations with Bulgaria.
Bojan Maricic, North Macedonia’s national coordinator for EU integration pointed out that Bulgarian has already offered concessions that go beyond the friendship treaty signed by the two countries, but does not expect Bulgaria “to become the new Greece,” when it comes to blocking the European integration.
However, leader of SDSM and former PM Zoran Zaev expects all issues with Bulgaria can be solved peacefully through talks.
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