With the appointment of former Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski as Zaev’s envoy to Bulgaria, Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Dimitrov took a back seat role in what should be the main task of his mandate – opening the EU accession talks. Dimitrov has avoided several scheduled hearings in the Parliament, and in the past days, as Bulgaria officially vetoed Macedonia, he has been missing from the public eye as well.

This prompted some SDSM officials to even propose that Dimitrov takes the blame for the complete failure of Zaev’s foreign policy – the centerpiece of which was to assure the public that Macedonia will be able to join the EU by making concessions toward its neighbors.

Dimitrov was singled out by Bulgarian officials as well as one the main reasons why the country can’t allow the opening of EU accession talks. Bulgarian Defense Minister Karakacanov blamed Dimitrov for trying to orchestrate pressure from Brussels or from his friend, German diplomat Michael Roth, aimed at Bulgaria. Officials in Sofia did not appreaciate this approach from Dimitrov.

And the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party is announcing it may initiate a vote of no confidence in Dimitrov. The opposition is preparing to challenge the entire Government, and is waiting for an opportune moment, but it’s possible that the procedure against Dimitrov comes first.