The Levica party called on the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU) to resolve the dispute with Bulgaria over the identity of legendary VMRO leader Goce Delcev.

Bulgaria raised the prospect of blocking Macedonia from opening EU accession talks and joining NATO unless Macedonian historians accept that Delcev was a Bulgarian.

It is from your history books that we know that Delcev was a Macedonian revolutionary, Levica writes in an open letter addressed to the MANU academics. “You built careers on this issue, which gave you your prestige and financial resources. Therefore we ask you to break your silence and answer the question, were your books and careers illegitimate and is Delcev a Bulgarian hero, or are they true and is Delcev a Macedonian revolutionary, the Levica party writes in its letter.

The issue erupted at a time when Macedonia expects to be allowed to begin EU accession talks. Bulgaria supports this move but Prime Minister Boyko Borisov recently said that Macedonia may have to wait and “mature” on the issue before it gets the Bulgarian approval.