site.btaVazrazhdane Demands Clarification from PM Zhelyazkov and Parliament Chair Kiselova over North Macedonia Policy

Vazrazhdane asked Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to explain his position on North Macedonia and called on Chair of the National Assembly Nataliya Kiselova to clarify her decision not to send MPs to the country, the Vazrazhdane parliamentary group said here on Wednesday.

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov read a declaration from the parliamentary podium and said that earlier in September  the official website of the Council of Ministers published what Vazrazhdane described as an "unprecedented position by the Bulgarian Prime Minister" Rosen Zhelyazkov. In this statement, Zhelyazkov set out that Bulgaria’s stance on North Macedonia remains unchanged and that the only way forward is full implementation of the 2022 European consensus agreements without any scope for revision, with a special emphasis on the rights of the Bulgarian minority. 

Kostadinov reaffirmed Vazrazhdane parliamentary group’s request for Zhelyazkov to explain the reasons for his statement and whether there has been a shift in Bulgaria’s foreign policy on North Macedonia. Kostadinov said an official letter would be sent to Zhelyazkov asking what prompted his comments on North Macedonia and if Bulgaria’s position on the country has changed.

Kostadinov also said that everyone in North Macedonia who speaks a Bulgarian dialect is Bulgarian by blood and language, regardless of current self-identification.

Vazrazhdane directed criticism at Nataliya Kiselova for becoming the first Chair of the National Assembly to deny a request to send the chair of the Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad to North Macedonia, Vazrazhdane MP Stoyan Taslakov, for a visit to local Bulgarian organizations. Kostadinov said Kiselova’s stated reason was that upcoming elections in North Macedonia could make such a visit appear as interference in domestic affairs, possibly causing a scandal. 

Taslakov, however, traveled to North Macedonia without parliamentary approval and in direct violation of a parliamentary ban. Kostadinov noted that North Macedonia’s elections are scheduled for October 19, with campaigning set to begin on September 19, so the visit did not coincide with the campaign period. “What kind of interference could there be, and what sort of scandals are we even discussing?” Kostadinov asked.

Vazrazhdane’s declaration argued that the recent actions by Zhelyazkov and Kiselova raise questions about a possible coordinated change in Bulgarian policy on North Macedonia. The group insisted “the betrayal committed by Zhelyazkov and Kiselova must be condemned by every parliamentary group, because Bulgaria has not changed its foreign policy doctrine.” 

Vazrazhdane also demanded an official statement from Kiselova explaining why she blocked contacts between the committee and Bulgarians in North Macedonia.

Kiselova replied that there would be no apology, adding that Taslakov had read the reasons in a confidential parliamentary file.