Journalist Branko Geroski called Zaev’s performance from Brussels today “comical”, after the Prime Minister insisted that he delivered a tough message to the European officials. In a short video statement, Zaev said that he told the EU leaders to withdraw the issue of the Macedonian national identity and language from the negotiations over the opening of the accession talks – which are blocked by Bulgaria precisely on these issues.

Zaev acts tough with the EU, says he told them to remove the Macedonian identity from the negotiating table

This is another comical attempt from Zaev to display himself as a “patriot”. Zaev’s claims that he held firm on these issues are a cheap spin, an introduction into his actual readiness to give in. Our history and our ethnic genesis will be put on the negotiating table – they already are. The SDSM Government will seek a compromise and their lie will be that they managed to save our language and our identity, Geroski said.

Bulgaria has stated that it is ready to accept the existence of a Macedonian nation and language, provided that Macedonia agrees that they are both newly forged concepts, barely over half a century old, and that they originated from the Bulgarian nation and language.