Law professor and member of Parliament for VMRO-DPMNE Gordana Siljanovska called on President Stevo Pendarovski to take the reins and respond to Zoran Zaev’s dramatic surrender on all issues of national identity raised by Bulgaria. Siljanovska, who ran against Pendarovski in the 2019 elections, said that it is past time for the President to come to the Parliament and address the legislators.

A message from the President could’ve been a lesson to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the EU Minister. But instead he only comes to the Parliament to wish us a Happy New Year, Siljanovska said during a TV interview.

Pendarovski issued a tepid statement after Zaev’s scandalous BGNES interview in which he used the term “historic revisionism” to describe Zaev’s comments on Bulgaria’s role in World War Two, but overall seemed more concerned about the insult Zaev aimed at him in the interview, calling him inexperienced.

It would’ve been better for Zaev to coordinate with the President before informing the Macedonian and Bulgarian public of his positions through an interview. From what we heard, he displayed a disastrous lack of knowledge about the matters. But I doubt that the Prime Minister is really that ignorant about what was happening in these parts during the Second World War. it is not a coincidence what he said – Bulgaria declares it will recognize our current reality as Macedonians, but wants us to recognize their perception of the past, Siljanovska said.