site.btaUPDATED Arson Attack on Bulgarian Embassy Vehicles in Skopje Prompts Reactions for Second Day

An arson attack on two diplomatic vehicles of the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje on Monday prompted a wave of reactions that continued on Tuesday.

While speaking to reporters, Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova labelled the arson "an attack on Bulgaria". She commented on this week's debate in the European Parliament on the European Commission's annual progress reports on EU candidate countries, including North Macedonia. "The next two days will be crucial because, alongside the debate, there will also be a vote on the resolution," Iotova said, referring to the resolution concerning the Republic of North Macedonia's progress towards EU accession.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry summoned North Macedonia's charge d'affaires in Sofia over the arson attack. Deputy Foreign Minister Christo Polendakov said Bulgaria condemned in the strongest terms the demonstrative act of aggression, unprecedented in bilateral relations, which endangered the health and lives of Bulgarian Embassy staff and nearby residents of North Macedonia's capital. The Ministry stated: "Any attempts to instil fear among Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia are unacceptable, and the Bulgarian State will continue to use all established mechanisms to oppose them."

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivanka Tasheva briefed her EU counterparts on the Skopje embassy arson attack and Bulgaria's resolve to fight hate speech. Tasheva represented Bulgaria at the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union in Luxembourg.

Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk called for a firm European Parliament response to the arson attack. He said the matter should not be underestimated or left to a delayed response through investigation alone. "We see that all crimes against human rights in North Macedonia have recently been swept under the carpet. There must be a firm response from the European Parliament to this act," the MEP said. He added: "We all see where hate speech leads. It leads to more hatred and greater confrontation. Instead of building bridges in the Western Balkans, we are building higher walls that will take us back to where we started in the 1990s."

Bulgarian MEP Ivaylo Valchev was adamant that North Macedonia will have no place in the European Union until it ends its anti-Bulgarian hatred. The MEP said: "This is the result of years of imposed hatred against Bulgarians in North Macedonia and against Bulgaria. This continues today. I believe that those of us who claim to stand for democracy and humanity, and who defend human rights, must firmly condemn the anti-human ideology of Macedonism and defend the rights and dignity of Bulgarians."

MEP Stanislav Stoyanov criticized the Republic of North Macedonia for its campaign of hate speech against Bulgaria and Bulgarians that has been waged for decades. The MEP highlighted a regression regarding the rule of law, democracy, media freedom, and the protection of fundamental rights in North Macedonia.

MEP Andrey Kovatchev stated that the Republic of North Macedonia is looking for "creative ways" to block its own path to EU accession. At the end of his remarks, Kovatchev also addressed Thomas Weitz, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the Republic of North Macedonia, stating that he was surprised by the rapporteur's attempt to remove some of the requirements for North Macedonia within the negotiation framework. "We both want to support and encourage North Macedonia, but encouraging them not to fulfil their commitments is not helpful," Kovatchev said.

North Macedonia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Zoran Dimitrovski told an EU General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg that as an EU candidate country and NATO member, the Republic of North Macedonia is increasingly exposed to disinformation campaigns, cyber threats, and coordinated influence operations. Dimitrovski referred to "intensified disinformation and hybrid activities that recently come from structures and media platforms linked to our eastern neighbour [Bulgaria] and aim to undermine trust in institutions, undermine our identity, and create divisions in society". The Minister stated that his country remains firmly committed to good neighbourly relations, mutual respect, and constructive dialogue in the spirit of European values and a common European future.

The French Embassy in the Republic of North Macedonia, in a Facebook post, strongly condemned the arson attack. The post reads: "Nothing can justify such an attack on the security of diplomatic missions, which must be guaranteed under all circumstances. In this regard, we commend the swift response of the Macedonian authorities and the efforts undertaken to fully investigate this incident. We encourage the authorities in North Macedonia and Bulgaria to work towards building a climate of trust in their bilateral relationship."