Caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky: Attempts in North Macedonia to Renegotiate the European Consensus Are Wasting Citizens’ Time

All kinds of attempts are being made by the current authorities in North Macedonia to bypass the European consensus and start renegotiations again, Bulgaria’s caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski said in an interview for BNT on April 8.

She said that these attempts are primarily aimed at a domestic audience, adding that valuable time is being lost in “political games” instead of complying with what has already been agreed.

“They claim that Bulgaria is constantly escalating its demands. That is not the case, and all well-intentioned observers are aware of this,” Neynski said. “Bulgaria simply wants to protect people with Bulgarian self-identification and to ensure it has a neighbour with whom it can maintain normal political, economic and cultural relations.”

Neynski stressed that Bulgaria has already fulfilled its responsibilities and that its constructive position stems from the fact that the issue is no longer bilateral but a European one.

“We have done what needed to be done at this stage,” Nadezhda Neynski said firmly. “Bulgaria’s constructive position is driven by the fact that this is now a European issue, not a bilateral one.”

Caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski has said that relations with North Macedonia remain one of the rare political issues on which there is broad consensus in Bulgaria.

She stated that this consensus aligns with what she described as a “European consensus” regarding the start of accession negotiations for North Macedonia.

“This is no longer a bilateral issue between Bulgaria and North Macedonia,” Neynski said. “It is now a matter between North Macedonia, which seeks to begin the process of joining the European Union, and the European Union itself.”

She added that it is normal for a candidate country to comply with this European consensus. According to Neynski, this includes ending hate speech and incorporating the Bulgarian minority, alongside other minorities, into North Macedonia’s Constitution.

According to Nadezhda Neynski, the aggression towards Bulgarian citizens in North Macedonia once again highlights how important it is for Bulgarians to be included in the country’s constitution and for hate speech to be brought to an end.