After last night's coalition council: Is there a change in Bulgaria's position on North Macedonia?

After a meeting of the four parties in the ruling coalition last night (March 29), the government assesses the dialogue with North Macedonia as improved, the head of the political cabinet, Lena Borislavova, said on March 30. She confirmed that the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, will visit Bulgaria in the coming days, to discuss various topics, including North Macedonia's European path. The coalition council was regular, with nothing extraordinary in it.

The government and some of the coalition partners denied that there was any talk about specific deadlines for North Macedonia, nor about speeding up the EU accession process.

All issues that are related to EU membership. And support for the government's actions in the dialogue that is taking place with the Republic of North Macedonia. I want to underline that this is not about speeding up a procedure, a negotiation procedure, it is about seeing tangible results, said Lena Borislavova, government spokesperson.

The position will not change from what we have stated so far. Namely - the two countries are working together, there is an improved dialogue, yes this is a fact, and a real desire to achieve a result by both sides so as to clear accumulated tensions and conflict points, added Lena Borislavova.

The co-chair of "Democratic Bulgaria" confirmed that they had talked about the issue at the meeting last night, but no decisions were taken to start negotiations with North Macedonia sooner. The position remains unchanged.

There has been no change in our position. We expect the government in the Republic of North Macedonia to show its readiness to implement those positions that Bulgaria has already formulated in the framework position of the Bulgarian Parliament. With the understanding that it is in the common interest for north Macednia to join the European family as soon as possible, but this cannot happen at the expense of Bulgarian national interests. Our position is unchanged in this respect. Once we see sufficient grounds to believe that Bulgarian national interests are protected, we will be able to realise those Bulgarian national interest for the RNM to start negotiations with the EU.

Slavi Trifonov, the leader of "There is Such a People", commented on Facebook that according to the official census, only 3,500 people in North Macedonia have identified themselves as Bulgarians, while in the last two years nearly 17,000 citizens of North Macedonia have received Bulgarian passports.

Trifonov wrote that a Bulgarian passport is obtained only after proving Bulgarian roots, which more than 100,000 citizens of North Macedonia have done, who are afraid to define themselves as Bulgarians there. He asked why, when North Macedonia claims to be a normal European country, a person would be afraid to say what he/she is. He also said that if they want to be such a country and part of the European Union, its citizens should be free to define themselves.

According to Slavi Trifonov, until that happens, North Macedonia will just be part of the Western Balkans.

Deputy Prime Minister from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Kornelia Ninova, denied to journalists that the coalition meeting had also discussed the candidate for the governor of the Bulgarian National Bank after the ruling parties failed to come up with a united proposal.

Yes, there was a coalition council yesterday, but it is not an exception because the chairs of the parliamentary groups meet regularly, we have not discussed the issue of a candidate for the post of BNB governor. We discussed all current issues - legislation, initiatives of ministries, decision of the Council of Ministers. But the topic of BNB governor was not discussed - there are two candidates, the National Assembly will decide. Yes, the Prime Minister informed us about his meeting with the Council of Ministers of Macedonia and Romania, how the talks went, yes, the situation in the Balkans was discussed in relation to the war in Ukraine and its consequences. Nothing extraordinary, said Kornelia Ninova, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the BSP.

The first hearing of the two candidates for BNB governor will be before the Budget and Finance Committee this Friday.

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