Bulgarian nationalist politician and former Deputy Prime Minister Krasimir Karakacanov issued a new insult aimed at Macedonians. In his latest remarks, he calls on Macedonians to accept Bulgarian demands if they want to join the EU and calls us “rubes”.

We are in EU and NATO. We outlined our principles very clearly in the Friendship Treaty. We allowed Macedonia into NATO. We can’t go back down that road. They need to come back from the road of their trampled anti-Bulgarianism. If they want to be part of the EU they need to act decently and normally. Bulgaria can’t allow them to spit on our dignity, just because they are rubes and want to join the EU, Karakacanov said.

Under his term in office, as part of a coalition with the larger GERB party, Bulgaria first vetoed Macedonia from opening its EU accession talks. This position still stands as the new Government of Kiril Petkov is announcing possible moderation in its position.