Zaev failed to get Bulgarian leaders to drop their objection to Macedonia opening its EU accession talks during his visit to Sofia today. But he also failed to secure meetings with some of the major parties, including one that could be key to the future coalition making in the country.

Zaev met with President Radev, the representatives of the interim Government, and began the visit to Bulgaria by meeting with his main political ally there, former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. He also met with Kornelija Ninova, who leads the Socialist Party, which is allied with Zaev’s SDSM.

But showman Slavi Trifonov did not meet with Zaev, and criticized his decision to meet with Borisov and Ninova first, before meeting with Radev and the caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Janev. Trifonov’s ITN placed second in the inconclusive April elections and is well positioned to win the in coming elections on July 11th, while Trifonov himself is entertaining the idea of running for President. Even if ITN doesn’t win, he will be the kingmaker after July – a position that Borisov already acknowledged to him. Zaev said that the parties that didn’t meet with him (the other is the Turkish DPS party) cited obligations linked with the on-going campaign. But Trifonov made it clear that he has deeper issues with Zaev, warning that Macedonia will not be allowed to open its EU accession talks until Zaev makes the demanded concessions.

So long as the Bulgarians can’t rest easy on the issue of history, of what the Republic of (North) Macedonia represents, than our opinion will be the same as the opinion of all Bulgarians, Trifonov said.

A recent Gallup poll shows that 70 percent of all Bulgarians oppose lifting the veto against Macedonia, while only 20 percent would like to see it lifted.