Ahead of Bulgarian Prime Minister Kril Petkov's visit to the Republic of Northern Macedonia (RSM) on January 18th, official Sofia announced a new approach to relations with the country, but remained in the old position, and Macedonian authorities have repeatedly expected constructive talks of EU integration, writes the Skopje electronic publication MKD in a material presented without editorial intervention.
In Kiril Petkov's statement on the upcoming visit to the RSM, he said that Bulgaria's position on the negotiation process with the RSM is maintained exactly as agreed in the coalition agreement between the ruling coalition parties. The position is the same, he said, but the government in Sofia is building on it with five separate commissions to build on bilateral relations.
"By holding talks on January 18th, we show that good neighborliness is a fundamental principle of our relations with the Republic of Northern Macedonia. I hope that our government will show the difference between good plans and achieved results, "Petkov said in the National Assembly, answering a parliamentary question from Ekaterina Zaharieva.
Petkov is expected to be the first foreign leader to meet with the new prime minister-designate and future prime minister, Dimitar Kovachevski, who is expected to be elected prime minister by January 17th.
The leader of the largest opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, Hristian Mickoski, said on Friday that he did not expect a change in Macedonian-Bulgarian relations following Sofia's new approach and called for diplomatic action by European partners to start talks with the EU.
"At the heart of the problem is the Resolution in the Bulgarian Parliament, which was actually confirmed by President Radev. He scolded the ministers in Petkov's new government not to give in to the demands (of Skopje). This is a strong and clear message. As long as this resolution is in force, as long as this resolution has the force of law, we will be blackmailed by our eastern neighbor, hegemonic demands from centuries ago, instead of building a future together and looking a few centuries ahead. "I regret that this is happening in modern Europe in the 21st century, and I call on our European partners to react vigorously and decisively with diplomatic action against our eastern neighbor and, finally, to allow the people of (Northern) Macedonia to begin the long-awaited negotiations full EU membership, "Mickoski said.
He also challenged Kovachevski's legitimacy as future prime minister to negotiate his identity on behalf of the Macedonian people. According to him, VMRO-DPMNE is the largest political party in the country and expects their voice to be heard.
On the other hand, Edward Joseph, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, says the EU is doing nothing and thus allows Bulgaria, which is certainly not one of the most powerful members, to officially prevent Skopje from negotiating with Brussels. In an interview with Radio Free Europe, he answered in the affirmative to the question of whether there is fatigue from EU enlargement and explained why this is a big problem.
"Enlargement fatigue is a big problem because it is a gift to Serbian President Alexander Vucic, who may present it to voters as carelessness and disinterest in European partners, citing the example of Macedonia, which is blocked by Bulgaria on its path to the EU. The union is not doing anything, as Germany did during its presidency, allowing Bulgaria, which is certainly not one of the most powerful members, to officially prevent Skopje from negotiating with Brussels. Vucic can say that Macedonia has even changed its name to unblock the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, and official Sofia is now blocking it. At the same time, Vucic is right when he claims this. "The question is how to solve this problem?"
Meanwhile, Ivaylo Dichev, a professor of cultural anthropology at Sofia University, assesses the chances of a compromise on the new pro-European government in Sofia's promises to find a way out of the deadlock over Macedonia's veto talks with the EU. Dichev in an analysis for Deutsche Welle estimates that there is no rational explanation for the Bulgarian veto on the start of accession talks with Macedonia.
"The nationalists in the previous government simply wanted to increase their popularity. But where does this enthusiastic consensus come from? "Bulgarians seemed to expect Macedonians, already" liberated "from Serbian hegemony, to return to them, so they were disappointed to find that their neighbors had built up a solid national identity," Dichev said.
He also explains that the Greek refusal to accept the name of the new state probably feeds the Bulgarian national ego. But unlike Athens, which set clear conditions for Skopje, "today's Bulgarian anger," he says, seems vague and illogical. This sets a dangerous precedent, which he said will undoubtedly be used in "the controversy between Serbs and Kosovars, Poles and Ukrainians and all other countries with different views on their common history".
"Macedonia's hopes that the EU will force Bulgaria to lift its veto are exaggerated: France is urging the union to deepen before further enlargement, while far-right parties are skeptical about accepting new members with a large Muslim population - such as northern Macedonia." , said Dichev in the analysis, which points out the illogicalities and weaknesses of each of the Bulgarian demands regarding Macedonia.
On Friday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev reiterated the conditions Skopje must meet to start negotiations with the EU - implementing the bilateral agreement and resolving all outstanding issues, such as "providing constitutional guarantees for the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians, ending hate speech, completing the processes of debugging and falsifying our millennial cultural and historical heritage ”.
He convened a meeting of the National Security Advisory Council on Monday to discuss views and next steps for northern Macedonia. The topic of the talks is "Integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. Bulgaria's Role in EU Enlargement and Stabilization and Association Process: The Republic of Macedonia and Albania.
Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski assures that his country remains focused on the European agenda and is ready for a dialogue with the Republic of Bulgaria to overcome the current situation.
At a meeting with EU Ambassador David Gere on Friday, they discussed the country's political developments ahead of the new government, as well as expectations and opportunities for progress on European prospects. President Pendarovski concluded that materializing the country's progress and starting accession talks, in line with the European Commission's recommendations, would further boost the reform process, especially in key areas such as the fight against high-level corruption and the rule of law.
Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani announced last week that the country expects constructive talks with the new Bulgarian government and a quick unblocking of the European integration process.
"It is important to restore confidence and discuss the main issues at the table," Osmani said, stressing that EU enlargement is not only in the country's interest, but also a strategic geopolitical issue for the Union.
He also announced the concretization of communication with France, as the current president of the Union, after the formation of the new government in the country.
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