Following the defeat of the ruling SDSM and DUI parties in Parliament today, and their failure to gain any votes from the opposition for the amendments Bulgaria requires from Macedonia, President Stevo Pendarovski did an unusually aggressive interview attacking the VMRO-DPMNE part.

With its vote today, the opposition confirms that the EU concept in Macedonia has collapsed. What will the opposition offer us instead? To join the non-Aligned movement? Neutrality? It would be shameful and devastating coming from any political structure. Are we going back to the old debate from the early 1990ies, between the East and the West? What would the East be, the Russian Federation? They are mocking a powerful EU country, France, who made the proposal which they dismissively call a “Bulgarian dictate”. Their concept is to grab power, Pendarovski said.

VMRO-DPMNE responded to Pendarovski, asking him to calm down and noting that 80 percent of the voters are against the proposed amendments. “Instead of nervous shaking, Pendarovski needs to face the fact that he allowed Macedonia to fall in the Bulgarian trap of either endless negotiations or assimilation. We understand that Pendarovski is trying to offer himself again to DUI and SDS as presidential candidate, which leads to his rhetoric. But he can’t ignore the will of the people, VMRO said in a statement.