site.btaEnergy Minister's Undeclared Bulgarian Citizenship Steady in North Macedonia's Media Limelight

The undeclared Bulgarian and Czech citizenship of the Minister of Energy in the government of Hristijan Mickoski, Sanja Bozinovska, has held the media attention in the Republic of North Macedonia for several days now. 

"Mickoski shows understanding why Bozinovska forgot to declare that she does not only have Macedonian citizenship", "Mickoski defends minister with undeclared Bulgarian citizenship", "Minister Bozinovska has Bulgarian citizenship too, Mickoski defends her, calls her 'outstanding expert'", is a sample of headlines. 

This is not a topic Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski is happy to discuss, writes the 360 Degrees website, which first published information from the Commercial Court in Zagreb that Bozinovska used her Bulgarian passport to manage a Croatian company.

"I would disagree [with allegations] that she hid [this information] from the public, I don't think we should put everything we did on our CV. Look, I'm 46 years old and if I include in my CV everything I've ever done, I guess it would be several volumes. But as a government we remain open to the public, that is our political determination, you, the journalists, are our partners and we are ready to answer your questions. I ask you to judge our work by our deeds, let us leave the political games aside," Mickoski said during a public appearance, when he was asked by 360 Degrees whether he knew that Bozinovska had both Bulgarian and Czech citizenship when he nominated her as a minister in his government. 

360 Degrees recalls that in response to the question whether she ever held or holds Bulgarian citizenship, Bozinovska said that her official resume clearly states that she is a citizen of North Macedonia, and that she also has Czech citizenship. 

"Regarding the allegations of Bulgarian citizenship, I would like to stress that I do not have Bulgarian citizenship and all relevant information is transparently stated in my resume," she is quoted as saying.

"As a matter of fact, Bozinovska's biography, presented by Mickoski in Parliament, states that she knows Czech and has work experience in the Czech Republic, but not that she has Czech citizenship," 360 Degrees wrote Monday.

A day later, Sanja Bozinovska told Channel 5 that she had an expired Bulgarian passport and Bulgarian citizenship, which she had asked to be terminated, and that she believes the procedure had been completed.

"I don't think the fact that I once had a Bulgarian passport can be ethically controversial, because both then and now I feel I am only Macedonian. I consider it wrong that Bulgaria challenges the Macedonian identity and I think it is a counterproductive policy that, unfortunately, harms the further development of relations between the two countries and I hope that in the near future conditions will be created to overcome these problems once and for all, and Macedonia and Bulgaria should focus on real cooperation, which undoubtedly includes energy," Bozinovska told Channel 5 and was later quoted in one of the broadcaster's news bulletins and 360 Degrees.

"We made another attempt to get an answer from Prime Minister Mickoski about the lack of transparency regarding Bozinovska's Bulgarian citizenship, because with the different answers from her side she leaves room for manipulation," the newspaper writes. It goes on to quote the answer of Hristijan Mickoski: "I do not think that she is manipulating the public. ALL I can say about Sanja is that she is an outstanding expert, a European expert and I am glad that she is in my team."

"Sanja Bozinovska may have always felt Macedonian, to use her words on Channel 5, but when she applied for, and received, Bulgarian citizenship, she had to sign a declaration that she had Bulgarian national identity. In addition, the applicant for Bulgarian citizenship declares that he is of Bulgarian origin and has Bulgarian ancestors," 360 degrees reports. Also, it publishes a facsimile of the declaration, which is signed as part of the documents for Bulgarian citizenship. 

Bozinovska is not the only minister in the government of Hristijan Mickoski who has another citizenship. Deputy Prime Minister for Good Governance Policies Arben Fetai has declared in his resume that he also has Belgian citizenship.

"Declaring second citizenship is a matter of transparency and is necessary at least for ethics. As far as senior civil servants are concerned, this should be the norm, that is, a good practice that is enforced in government because there is nothing controversial, especially when it is from a friendly country," 360 Degrees quoted Fetai as saying. 

Bozinovska's resume has not yet been published on the website of North Macedonia's government.