Macedonia

"The threat of 'Bulgarianization' is a fiction of the opposition with the aim of instilling fear among Macedonians", believes the president of our southwestern neighbor, Stevo Pendarovski. He announced this in an interview with the local publication "Trilling".

Μήπως τα κάνετε κι εσείς;

Authorities in North Macedonia have told public and private entities to beef up their online security after the education ministry was targeted again.

"It makes no sense to hold a referendum when, regardless of the result, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE does not plan to vote. Only one referendum makes sense - whether you are in favor of EU membership or not, all the other questions are a way of getting around the only real question. No one in the government is satisfied with the compromise that was made with Bulgaria".

North Macedonia plans to write into law major punishments for those convicted of 'ecocide', but the country's track record does not bode well when it comes to enforcing such progressive legislation.

The VMRO DPMNE opposition party launched a campaign for a referendum against the 2017 Skopje-Sofia friendship treaty, which it claims is fuelling Bulgaria's push for concessions from North Macedonia in return for unblocking its path towards the EU.

If the online discourse is anything to go by, political polarisation in North Macedonia is deepening, with potential violent consequences.

"Bulgaria will once again stand in solidarity with fraternal Macedonia". This was stated by President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev during his meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski.

The head of state emphasized that our relations with the RNM have stood on a solid foundation.

Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia have decided to help each other with energy and food shortages in winter and to ask for help from the EU. This happened at a meeting of the "Open Balkans" regional initiative on Friday in Belgrade.

Sinking Deeper

Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev arrives for a face-to-face EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, 25 May 2021. European Union leaders take part in a two day in-person meeting to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and Russia relations. EPA-EFE/JOHANNA GERON / POOL