Bulgarian Vice President Iliyana Yotova awarded citizenship to Hristijan Pendikov, a young man from Ohrid who was attacked late last year, in a dispute apparently provoked by his pro-Bulgarian activism.

At least one of the attackers was also a Macedonian holding a Bulgarian citizenship, while Pendikov himself was not a Bulgarian citizen at the time, but was active in the recently opened Bulgarian club “Tsar Boris III” in Ohrid – a club that is now asked to change its name because of the Tsar’s alliance with Nazi Germany.

Bulgaria promptly airlifted Pendikov for treatment in Sofia, and the entire family seems ready to settle there, citing threats and intimidation in Macedonia. It was one of the most serious incidents in the deteriorating cycle between the two countries. Pendikov was given an apartment in Sofia and protection.

The young man was active in Macedonian patriotic circles during the Colored Revolution. Afterwards, as Macedonian national identity continues to be undermined by actions of the Government, he began to associate with the active Bulgarian representatives in the country and joined the “Tsar Boris III” club, self-identifying as a Bulgarian. Over 100,000 Macedonian citizens are believed to have taken Bulgarian citizenship, most of them for easy access to the EU labour market, but some are increasingly politically active in Macedonia.