Bulgarian nationalist member of the European Parliament Angel Dzhambazki slid into the replies to Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Facebook, when Zaev posted a message on the 149th anniversary of the birth of Goce Delcev. In his typical style, Dzhambazki wrote to declare that “Goce Delcev was a Bulgarian from the Bulgarian city of Kukus, who self-declared as a Bulgarian teacher and Bulgarian fighter in the Bulgarian revolutionary organization”.

Also typically, Zaev did not respond to this message. But VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski did, responding directly to the Bulgarian MEP.

I see that Prime Minister Zaev is not defending Macedonian interests, so I will respond that VMRO is Macedonia and Goce Delcev was a Macedonian – one of the most glorious figures in Macedonian history, Mickoski wrote.

Bulgaria is pressuring Macedonia to accept numerous concessions on issues of national identity and history, before it will allow Macedonia to open EU accession talks. One of the key demands is that Delcev and other leaders of VMRO and the Macedonian national movement in general are declared as Bulgarians.