Bulgarian media outlets are reporting on the bizarre campaign video issued by SDSM, which protrays a football match with a Bulgarian and Greek player harshly tackling a Macedonian player.

SDSM is using primitive anti-Bulgarian propaganda in its election campaign again. Bulgaria is presented through a football player who is aggressively trying to prevent the Macedonian attacker from reaching the goal, implying that our country blocks Macedonia in its European integration. The player in a Bulgarian jersey is pulling the Macedonian player, reports the Bulgarian news outlet BGNES.

The video is titled – no giving up in front of the goal, and it shows the aforementioned duel, which includes players representing France (who vetoed Macedonia before Bulgaria took over this role), Turkiye, Albania and other countries. The Macedonian player overcomes the opponents but then stops and hesitates before goal. SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski shows up to tell him taht the party has a clear vision to win in the push to join the EU, and then scores the goal.

The party wants to convey a message that Macedonia has a clear chance to finally open EU accession talks – a clear shot at the goal – but that it must implement the current Bulgarian demand and amend the Constitution to declare the Bulgarians as an official minority. SDSM did not have the votes in Parliament to achieve this, due to opposition from VMRO-DPMNE, which demands some reciprocity from Bulgaria regarding the rights of the Macedonians in Bulgaria.