English
The AFET foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament today adopted the proposed progress report on Macedonia, including its several references to the Macedonian national identity and language.
The report was strongly criticized by the Bulgarian members of the European Parliament and the Bulgarian Government, after their failed attempts to insert amendments such as adding the word “current” in front of the Macedonian language and identity – meant to represent them as derived from the Bulgarian language and identity. Six members of AFET blocked the attempt to introduce the word “current” in front of the Macedonian language and identity, giving Macedonia a symbolic victory.
In the end, the report was accepted with 40 votes in favor, 19 opposed and 10 abstained. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that there was a last ditch effort to undermine the report, but that it was fought off. Mickoski previously said that Bulgaria was pushing European officials to delay or amend the report, warning that it could create a backlash in Bulgaria that will undermine its adoption of the euro or empower pro-Russian forces in the country. Bulgarian representatives also strongly attacked the Austrian rapporteur Thomas Weitz, accusing him for his meetings with Macedonian representatives, and trying to present these meetings as Macedonian lobbying of Weitz. This prompted AFET chairman David McAllister to condemn the comments from the Bulgarian representatives.
The report also calls on Macedonia to accept the Bulgarian demand that the Bulgarian minority is mentioned in the Constitution. The Government has said that it will agree to this if the European Union gives sufficient guarantees that it will respect the Macedonian national identity, and if there is some reciprocity from Bulgaria regarding the rights of ethnic Macedonians in that country.
The report will now be put before the European Parliament in the first half of July.
