site.btaMEP Petar Volgin: North Macedonia Not Taking Steps to Improve Relations with Bulgaria

Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin (Europe of Sovereign Nations/Vazrazhdane) said that North Macedonia is currently not doing anything to improve relations with Bulgaria. He made the remarks in the corridors of the European Parliament in comments to BTA on current matters related to European Commission reports on the progress of Western Balkan countries towards EU membership and bilateral relations between Sofia and Skopje.

Ahead of Wednesday's vote on draft resolutions on the 2025 progress reports for Western Balkan EU candidate countries, BTA sought comments from Bulgarian MEPs across all political groups and parties represented in the European Parliament.

Commenting on the European Commission reports on Western Balkan countries, Volgin described the region's push for rapid EU accession as "premature" and stressed the need for these countries to meet the relevant criteria before claiming membership.

"When such a decision is taken, it must be based on very clear criteria. Criteria that Bulgaria had to meet for many years in order to become a full EU member. The same criteria must be met by all other countries that want to join the EU, whether our Balkan neighbours or Ukraine. These are countries that must first meet the criteria and know that there are objective conditions they must comply with, and only then claim to be EU Member States," he said.

Commenting on Bulgaria's position and the balance between support for North Macedonia's European perspective and the protection of the Bulgarian national interest, Volgin criticized what he described as a lack of action by the authorities in Skopje to improve bilateral relations, warning that the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission on Historical and Educational Issues of Bulgaria and North Macedonia could stop working. 

"Regrettably, North Macedonia is currently not doing anything to improve relations with Bulgaria. On the contrary, it is doing everything possible to worsen them. Despite all the documents and agreements we have signed, they behave as if Bulgaria is the EU candidate country. There is also a very unpleasant request from the European Parliament rapporteur (for North Macedonia, Thomas Waitz), who wants the deletion of the amendment guaranteeing that the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission between Bulgaria and North Macedonia will continue to work. He is seeking the removal of this requirement, which is very bad, because this commission was agreed during our negotiations and it is one of the guarantees that relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia will improve," Volgin said.

Commenting on the arson attack of Bulgarian diplomatic vehicles in Skopje on June 15, Volgin again criticized the authorities in North Macedonia, who he said had created "real intolerance towards Bulgarians", and called on them to work towards better relations with Bulgaria.

"Given the numerous similar cases, including widely reported ones involving Bulgarians in North Macedonia who were subjected to attacks bordering on terrorist assaults, it does not seem to me that this act is just an isolated incident. Unfortunately, in the Republic of North Macedonia a real intolerance towards Bulgarians is being created, and this can in no way lead to improved relations. It is high time the authorities in North Macedonia understood that if they want Bulgaria's support on their path towards EU membership, they must strive for good relations, rather than wait for Bulgaria to do something," he said.

"Bulgaria has done everything that can and should be done to enable them [North Macedonia] to become EU members. Unfortunately, Skopje believes it can be a more important State than Bulgaria, which is certainly not the case," he added.