During a campaign rally in Strumica, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev sought to protect himself from charges that he is giving up on Macedonian national interests and recasting the Macedonians as a newly formed nation in the Balkans, which is feeding into the nationalist propaganda of neighboring countries.
Zaev pointed to the fact that, as Mayor of Strumica, he built a monument to Tsar Samoil, whose army suffered its monumental defeat near Strumica. Under the treaty Zaev signed with Bulgaria, Macedonian historians were pushed to declare the medieval ruler as a Bulgarian king.
Come to Strumica and see the traitor Zaev, how he erected a monument to Samoil, with your money from the citizens. How we built a monument to the expelled (Macedonians from Greece during the Civil War), Zaev said, adding that Strumica has also long had a monument to Goce Delcev on the main square.
While in opposition, Zaev’s SDSM party relentlessly criticized the building of monuments to historic leaders, alleging that it is annoying neighboring countries against Macedonia, and once in office, Zaev signed treaties which declare nearly all of the history of Macedonia as heritage of Greece and Bulgaria.
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