site.btaMore Reactions from Political Parties in Bulgaria after North Macedonia Deputy PM’s Claims

Reactions continued on Thursday from Bulgarian politicians against remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Aleksandar Nikoloski, against Bulgaria and the language he used. 

In a televised interview on Wednesday, Nikoloski joined an outcry in his country against the absence of the national flag of North Macedonia in a photo of Presidents Rumen Radev and Gordana Siljanovska during Siljanovska's visit to Bulgaria on September 13. Nikoloski said the hosts were disrespectful to President Siljanovska, calling them "neither civilized nor decent, nor respectful." He also said that his country is being exploited by Bulgarian political parties and President Radev for political gain. His claims caused sharp reactions in Bulgaria.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov called for Nikoloski’s resignation. "If they [the government of North Macedonia] fail to do so [replace him] - neither the President, nor ministers, nor parties should see them or talk to them," Borissov added. He said he will make sure that European People's Party will hear what Nikoloski has said. He argued that "apparently unofficial, friendly meetings, even related to opera, should not be held with these people".  Borissov said that the current cabinet in Skopje took office a short while ago and may be unfamiliar with state protocol. 

Lena Borislavova MP of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) said that such language is inadmissible. "We are of the opinion that that agreement concluded [between Sofia and Skopje] based on the French proposal is good, despite the criticism we received at the time, which was entirely politically based. Bulgaria's interests are currently completely protected," she said. She also said that “the colleagues from the Republic of North Macedonia are leading their people away from the European path for internal political reasons”.

Vazrazhdane floor leader Kostadin Kostadinov told journalists that North Macedonia's leadership have yet again shown that "they have a single complex - the so-called B [inferiority] complex - towards Bulgaria, which to a large extent determines the Executive's policy at the moment.”

Regarding the absence of North Macedonia's flag, the international protocol determined the rules in that case: when the meeting is unofficial, even if the place is official, only the flag of the host country should be displayed, Kostadinov said. He showed a photo from an unofficial meeting of North Macedonia's Prime Minister with his Croatian counterpart where only the Croatian and EU flags are displayed. In Kostadinov's words, that photo is absent from the Macedonian media. In that case there is no problem, he added. That too is an example of the classical B complex, he said.

He said that Vazrazhdane supports the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry's position, he added.

BSP Floor Leader Borislav Gutsanov commented for the press that his parliamentary group considers such language absolutely unacceptable between two neighbouring people. "I believe that if we are to continue our normal relations, this person should resign, otherwise it will be very hard to have normal relations between two neighbouring countries," he added.

There Is Such a People (TISP) MP Stanislav Balabanov said that North Macedonia "will not join the European Union if its politicians continue behaving the way they do". He argued that TISP, the President and Vazrazhdane were "the only representatives of the Bulgarian political class who have done their best to defend the Bulgarian position during a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security some time ago" on relations with North Macedonia. He blamed GERB, MRF and CC-DB for lifting the veto on North Macedonia's EU bid. 

He suggested that Bulgaria should demand Nikoloski's resignation and expel North Macedonia's Ambassador in Sofia.