Bulgaria will eventually push for annexation of Macedonia, unless we show some spine, warned veteran politician Stevce Jakimovski, discussing Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s announced complete surrender in the dispute with Bulgaria.

Macedonia must show that it is done bending its spine. There must be issues that are off the table and non-negotiable. Bulgaria adopted a declaration about the period between 1941 and 1945, declaring it a glorious period, with no shame about their role in the fascist movement at the time. They consider the subsequent period until 1992 a dark period. And instead of apologizing, Bulgaria wants us to change our history. When I resisted the treaty with Bulgaria I warned that it will not resolve the Macedonian issue but actually opens it. It solves nothing, neither the language or the identity. If we don’t show that we have a position of our own, Bulgaria will annex us, Jakimovski said in an interview with Kanal 5 TV.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Krasimir Karakacanov discussed the issue of possible future unification of Macedonia and Bulgaria, using a common Balkan term that “where waters flowed once, they will flow again”.