VMRO-DPMNE Vice President Aleksandar Nikoloski blasted the Zaev Government for keeping the extent of the dispute with Bulgaria secret from the opposition. Zaev proudly refuses to appear before the Parliament, as do his top diplomats, even as the Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee schedules hearing after hearing on the issue.

It’s not possible that we hear about the so-called non-paper from Berlin only through the Austrian press. It is not possible that in Bulgaria officials like Karakacanov, Zaharieva and Borisov give five statements a day on Maceodnia, but here we get nothing, no statement. In Bulgaria, the leader of the opposition party is fully informed and they have a consensus on the issue of Macedonia, while we are being informed through the press, Nikoloski said.

He accused Zaev of imposing Bulgarian policy interests on Macedonia with his apparent willingness to accept their demands to redefine Macedonian national identity.

We will never resolve the issue if our politicians approach the dispute with Bulgaria from a position of inferiority. They need to show more courage, but also to resolve other problems we have at home, so that we can exert pressure on Bulgaria. The European Union wants to admit members who have resolved their own problems and in that case it would push on Bulgaria. Unfortunately, Macedonia is not such a country, Nikoloski said.