President Pendarovski proposes ban on entry in N Macedonia of a Bulgarian MEP and several other people - who is on the list?

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski. has proposed to the Government to prohibit entry into the Republic of North Macedonia of a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament and several other citizens of Bulgaria, for the upcoming celebrations of the 151st birth anniversary of revolutionary Gotse Delchev.

So far, he has not given specific names, but the opposition Macedonian party "Levica" published a list of six people to be declared persona non grata in North Macedonia.

Among them are the names of MEPs Angel Dzhambazki and Andrei Kovachev. At the Security Council meeting in Bulgaria’s western neighbour, Pendarovski said that such a ban on entering Macedonia is necessary for the sake of North Macedonia's national security and suggested that from the border crossing with Bulgaria, only people who do not intend to "humiliate the Macedonian people" should have access to the event.

The proposal that comes from North Macedonia’s President reads as follows:

"One MEP from Bulgaria and several others from Bulgaria should be banned from entering the country because of their previous and ongoing actions against North Macedonia," Stevo Pendarovski said.

The argument states that there are structures in Bulgaria that will support financially and with transport a large group of people from Bulgaria to go to Macedonia on 4 February. Pendarovski added that some of these structures are linked to the Russian intelligence service.

"If we do not react on Fbruary 4 as any serious country would - there is a risk that many people with bad intentions towards Macedonia and Macedonians will come," he said.

The people who will be banned from entering are not mentioned, but a week ago the Macedonian Left Party listed six Bulgarian names. One of them is the MEP Angel Dzhambaski, described as a neo-fascist who declares Macedonians are Bulgarians. Dzhambazki commented that he had not yet received such a ban.

"I don't know, but I guess we will find out soon. But banning any Bulgarian citizen to defend the rights of the Macedonian Bulgarians is an outrageous demand by the authorities in Macedonia. In fact, those who should be banned are Pendarovski, Kovacevski, Osmani, who provoke anti-Bulgarian hysteria with their statements and who cover up attacks on people who self-identify as Bulgarians," said Angel Dzhambazki.

According to Dzhambazki, the veto to start negotiations for North Macedonia's EU accession should be returned. MEP Andrey Kovachev is the other name on the list of the Left Party, with the note "denier of Macedonian history".

"Mr Pendarovski, what he has done, I am appalled. It's tragicomic, but it's more tragic because after all he is the President of the RNM. And he owes a lot of explanations now, because if we really have Russian spy services working on this, and he has information about this, because he says it, we should know it too," said Andrei Kovachev.

“Levica” also wants to ban Krasimir Karacachanov and Milen Vrabevski, described as a Bulgarian oligarch and financier of clubs with fascist names. Vrabevski refused to comment, saying that this ban would not interfere with his proven European activities. The party list also includes the name of the chairman of "Vazrazhdane" party.

"We are allies with Macedonia in NATO. On the basis of what our military ally will impose a possible decision to ban visits by MEPs, MPs, political representatives of any formations and parties. Is this behaviour of an ally?", Kostadin Kostadinov said.

The chairman of the Macedonia Foundation has already been banned from entering North Macedonia. In his opinion, Pendarovski's argument that such a ban is necessary for national security is absurd.

"The only provocations that come are from the RNM and from some circles in society, which publicly on social networks invite to attack Bulgarians if they come to celebrate the birth of Gotse Delchev. So we are getting to the point that the government in Skopje is not solving its internal flaws with such extreme elements who want to attack peaceful citizens who come to pay tribute to a shared national hero, but call a provocation the coming of people to pay tribute to a shared national hero," said Viktor Stoyanov, chairman of the Macedonia Foundation.

The names on Pendarovski's list have yet to emerge. As well as whether the government will agree to ban them.

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