BGNES, a Bulgarian news outlet that is often very harsh on the Macedonian issue, notes that amending the Constitution to include the Bulgarian nation in the Preamble is now a small issue, compared to the deteriorating overall atmosphere and the security of Bulgarians in Macedonia. According to BGNES, Bulgaria scored a major victory when it ensured that its demands are made part of Macedonia’s EU accession criteria and now it is up to have them implemented.

The rights of the Bulgarians and the hate speech against them and against Bulgaria, have not only not improved but they reached paradoxical levels over the past months. In this backdrop, the potential inclusion of the Bulgarians in the Constitution of Maceodnia seems more and more like a smaller issue in the bilateral relations. Even if the constitutional amendments are adopted in the next months, it is now clear that they won’t change anything in the other outstanding bilateral issues, BGNES reports.

The relations are in a steep downward spiral after the opening of Bulgarian clubs in Bitola and Ohrid, named after people who supported Nazi Germany, and especially after the brutal beating of a Bulgarian activist in Ohrid.