Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Dimitrov finally came out to explain his decision not to appear before the Parliament to discuss the quickly deteriorating relations with Bulgaria which threatens to block the opening of Macedonia’s EU accession talks, accusing Zaev and Dimitrov of not implementing in full the treaty they agreed to in 2017.

Dimitrov used Covid as an excuse, after a Bulgarian official present at the emergency summit held in Berlin to discuss the issue, tested positive. Bulgarian Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva went into self-isolation after the meeting.

These are important days and I need to remain negative to do my job and I have no intention of endangering my health and the health of others, Dimitrov said.

Both he and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani remained silent after the emergency summit. Bulgaria now demands that Macedonia acknowledges that the Macedonian language and nation derived from the Bulgarian as a condition of allowing the opening of accession talks.

Meanwhile, SDSM member of Parliament Jovan Mitrevski used a different non-excuse as the reason why his representatives also refused to participate at the hearing. Mitrevski said that there is no reason to discuss something that is already put in place by Bulgaria.

I see no need for the Parliament to decide on something that is a fact, Mitrevski said, speaking about the Bulgarian list of demands sent to the European Council.