Queue the Bulgarian demands
Two major points this week, the first one being to the point: The EU claims to have certain “values” but those “values” include demanding that to become a member of the club, a current member of the club can, based on bilateral issues alone, demand that the potential new member deny its own existence. Those aren’t values. Those are mafia rules. And why would Macedonia want to be a member of a mafia, and not just a mafia, but a mafia that claims to be a sovereign government?
My second point is built on the first point: EU member Bulgaria is now demanding further concessions from Macedonia in order to allow Macedonia to begin accession talks. Well now, who could have predicted this?
While Bulgaria ostensibly agreed, back in March, to allow Macedonia to begin accession talks sometime in the future, a document has now become public which lists the many conditions Bulgaria is now demanding from Macedonia in order for Bulgaria to allow those talks to go on. The document, dated March 25, 2020, from the Council of the European Union General Secretariat, contains “Annex 2” which is a “Statement by the Republic of Bulgaria with regard to the adoption of the Council Conclusions on Enlargement and Stabilisation and Association Process” which I realize is a mouthful.
After the usual EU-speak of pre-statements, its gets into the meat of the annex, namely, the Bulgarian demands on Macedonia, while noting that Bulgaria reserves the right, to itself, to essentially block Macedonia in future EU accession talks, at any stage in those talks. Bulgaria attempts to give itself a proverbial fig leaf of cover by referring back to the “Treaty” which refers to the so-called treaty on “good neighborly relations” that Zoran Zaev and Nikola Dimitrov signed with Bulgaria the day before the celebration of Ilinden in August of 2017.
And what, specifically, are those demands? Let’s go through just a few of them:
-Macedonia must reach a “definitive agreement on the entire spectrum of the work of the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission on Historical and Educational Issues created under the Treaty, including reaching agreement on key figures and events from our common history….up to 1944, on specific dates for the joint commemoration of those events and figures….” Shorter: Macedonia must agree with Bulgaria that Goce Delcev, among other Macedonian heroes, was “Bulgarian.” Shorter still: Macedonians are “Bulgarians.”
-“Discontinuation” by Macedonia “…of any support to organizations claiming the existence of a so-called ‘Macedonian minority’ in the Republic of Bulgaria, including in international organizations…” Shorter: there are no Macedonians in Bulgaria (just as Macedonia’s Zoran Zaev and Nikola Dimitrov agreed with Greece that there are no Macedonians in Greece).
-The Government of Macedonia must “actively prevent, and where necessary investigate and prosecute any form of discrimination or hate speech against its citizens with Bulgarian self-identification or Bulgarian descent and cultural affiliation.” Shorter: no free speech.
-“Implementation of the ‘language clause’ agreed between Sofia and Skopje in the agreements” of Macedonia with the EU, “…including in the future Negotiating Framework. Thus, the linguistic norm spoken by the population” of Macedonia “…should only be referred to as ‘the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia’ in EU documents/positions/statements, including the future Negotiating Framework. No document/positions/statements by the EU and its institutions can be interpreted as recognition of the existence of a separate so-called ‘Macedonian language.’” Shorter: there is no Macedonian language anywhere.
And the list goes on.
In a recent interview with Sitel TV, Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borisov said, among many other things, “I also understand you, identity is important for a newly founded, or let’s say, young country, but we need to reach agreement…The historians need to get together quickly and resolve the problems, name by name, issue by issue.”
At least he is honest in his assertion that, essentially, he denies the existence of a Macedonian nation, identity, language, culture, history, heritage, etc.
And as for the Macedonian government and its supporters? What of them? Are they honest?
For its part, the Macedonian government denied that such a document exists, before acknowledging that such a document exists. Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov lamely stated that “good neighborly relations” are a two-way street (which is true) but then refused to say what would be done about the Bulgarian demands instead offering platitudes about “cooperation and friendship.” And Macedonia’s first foreign minister, Denko Maleski, who is also an advisor to current Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski, was trotted out, perhaps as a trial balloon from the government, insisting that Macedonians and Bulgarians are the “same people.”
A possible start to EU accession talks for Macedonia could begin as early as the end of the year (!), according to EU spokespeople, but the Negotiating Framework (mentioned above in the Bulgarian document) first needs to be approved by all EU members in June; queue the Bulgarian demands.
One of the troubling aspects of the current Macedonian government (and there are many) is that they are desperate — and deeply so — to have Macedonia as a member of the European Union at any price. There is no cost too great to pay to become a member of a profoundly flawed organization. They believe — or they purport to believe — that membership in the EU is a cure-all for Macedonia’s many ills and they believe that they will receive praise, accolades and applause for pushing Macedonia into it even if that means changing the identity of Macedonia and the Macedonians.
Is it worth it? Will you, Macedonia, sit at home (and sit at home you must these days) and meekly accept your fate as something other than Macedonians?
