English
VMRO-DPMNE responded today to the demand from SDSM leader Venko Filipce that Macedonia holds a referendum on the request from Bulgaria that the Bulgarian minority is included in the Constitution – which is the official condition for opening EU accession talks.
SDSM knows that the adding of the 2-3 thousand citizens who feel as Bulgarian to the Constitution is not the last demand or ultimatum that is coming from our eastern neighbor. Next on the table will be demands about the Macedonian language, culture, history, identity… there is no end to the Bulgarian diktats. Filipce knows that, it has been publicly announced, but he and SDS find it convenient to say that the changing of the Constitution to include the Bulgarians is the last Bulgarian demand and the only way to continue the Euro-integration path of the country, said VMRO-DPMNE in a statement.
The ruling party accused SDSM of acting as lobbyists of Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. “We remind them that online they can find videos from 2019, in wihch Radev, as then President, speaking to a large auditorium in Russia that included Vladimir Putin, spoke about the Macedonian history in the Bulgarian narrative. Radev said that Goce Delcev was a Bulgarian and that Slavic literacy came from Bulgaria, and not Macedonia. At the time the Macedonian Government was led by Zoran Zaev and Venko Filipce was Healthcare Minister, but the Government did not dare condemn Radev’s speech, just as they did not react recently when his Foreign Minister called us Slavomacedonians”, VMRO adds in its statement accusing Filipce of preparing for new treasons against the Macedonian identity.
According to the ruling party, it’s apparent that Filipce would allow Bulgaria to claim Macedonian heroes such as Goce Delcev, Jane Sandanski, Pitu Guli and Dame Gruev, and to portray them as fighters for the Bulgarian state, and to present Ss Cyril and Methodius as Bulgarian saints. “It is time to work on our reforms, and not a time to accept ultimatums and blackmail that damage the Macedoian identity”, VMRO added in its statement.