In an interview, Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Dimitrov denied allegations that Bulgarians in Macedonia are being discriminated. This is one of the key claims from Bulgaria as the country blocks Macedonia from opening its EU accession talks.

We have no complaints, there are no verdicts in the Court in Strasbourg against Macedonia for alleged discrimination of Bulgarians, Dimitrov said.

This comment will likely turn Bulgaria even stronger against him – Bulgarian officials have often complained about Dimitrov and his attempts to drum up support in Germany and the US to put pressure against Bulgaria and its veto. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev recently had a high profile meeting with representatives of the Bulgarian organizations in Macedonia, as he demands that the Bulgarians are added to the Macedonian Constitution. The Zaev regime helped Bulgaria make its case when it launched an angry campaign against the opposition mayoral candidate in Skopje Danela Arsovska, accusing her of secretly holding a dual Bulgarian citizenship. Arsovska denied the allegation, but the torrent of insults and attacks she faced from Zaev, SDSM officials and their supporters was immediately noticed in Sofia.