From BNT envoys in Skopje: Protests against "French proposal" continue

The protests against the so-called "French proposal" in Skopje have not stopped. Thousands of people, supported by the opposition in the Republic of North Macedonia, were demonstrating against the "Bulgarianisation" of the country. The package of documents that the EU Council has proposed to Sofia and Skopje to resolve the outstanding issues between them and thus allow our neighbours to start accession talks should be voted on by the North Macedonian Parliament in the coming days.

Everything depends on whether the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party will change its position. For now, they remain opposed to the French proposal and to changing the country's constitution. That is why the party is one of the formations organising the protests.

All the parties have already nominated their representatives to negotiate guidelines regarding the negotiations. Parliament's decision is key on how the country should respond to the French proposal.

Protests against the "Bulgarianisation" of the country continue every night.

Thousands of people for the fifth consecutive day staged a protest in Skopje under the slogan: "Ultimatum: No, thank you". According to these people, the French proposal will "Bulgarianise" the country.

The proposal foresees that Skopje will include the Bulgarians as a nation-building people in its Constitution and then start negotiations with the EU. A bilateral protocol between Sofia and Skopje, which has not yet been officially confirmed by either side, sets out measures for history, textbooks and cultural monuments. This is the document that the protesters believe will take away the country's identity.

According to Vladimir Zahariev, whom we met at the protest, Bulgaria should have a different approach to North Macedonia. He recalls 1990, when a Serbian group led by Vojislav Šešelj and a Macedonian group got into a fight in the Prokhor Pčinski monastery. Then Šešelj overthrew several of the Macedonian state symbols.

On the fence in front of the government building, pelted with eggs days ago, Ilija, wrapped in the flag with the star of Vergina, says he disagrees with the, quote, "Bulgarian proposal."

He says if the "French proposal" is accepted, civil war will break out.

The procession marched to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Assembly. Passing under the bridge near the monument to Skenderbeg in the Albanian part, an anonymous group attacked the procession with stones. The protesters fought back.

After the intervention of the police, the procession continued towards the legislative body. The façade of the Assembly is badly affected by the previous night's stones and smoke grenades attacks.

The protest escalated into an attempt by demonstrators to separate 30 masked men, some of whom threw smoke grenades at the Assembly. The Assembly itself - surrounded by special forces, including army.

Earlier at the protest, a group of demonstrators burned a poster with the photos of the Assembly MPs who had supported the so-called "French proposal".

As the protesters thinned out, opposition leader Christian Mickoski called an emergency press conference to announce that there had been an assassination attempt on him at tonight's protest.

The protest ended shortly before midnight. To return in the coming days, when the government will send the French proposal to the Assembly.