The accusations from the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, against Bulgaria have grown increasingly contradictory and are approaching the absurd. Mickoski criticized Bulgaria for allegedly opposing the use of the Macedonian language in the so-called Community Rights Plan, a document central to North Macedonia’s EU integration process.

In reality, Bulgaria’s objections are entirely different: the plan was presented to the Macedonian public in English rather than a language accessible to citizens. Representatives of the Macedonian Bulgarian community, who received a 37-page technical document in English in early December, reported difficulties understanding the complex legal text due to language barriers and a lack of legal expertise. Georgi Tsarnomarov from the Balkan Bridge association commented that the plan does not adequately protect Macedonian Bulgarians and appears to serve as a mere formality for European institutions, effectively covering up existing issues.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing concern over Skopje’s misrepresentation of the situation, noting that these claims sharply diverge from the European consensus reached in 2022. The ministry clarified that the language in which North Macedonia implements its Community Rights Plan is an internal matter for the country and not a bilateral issue. Presenting the draft to its citizens in English is difficult to justify, especially if the plan is intended for practical implementation. The ministry reminded that the plan follows the still-pending constitutional recognition of Bulgarians in North Macedonia, a step necessary to advance EU accession negotiations. It also emphasized that Bulgaria welcomes Mickoski’s commitment to consider all recommendations from the Bulgarian community regarding the plan.

Mickoski, meanwhile, maintained that Bulgaria is challenging the plan on the false grounds that it was prepared in Macedonian. He expressed regret that Bulgaria had “missed another chance to be good neighbors” and reiterated that Brussels had been informed in advance of potential objections. Mickoski argued that the plan met all requirements, including suggestions from an Italian expert and a goodwill measure of sending the document to Bulgaria a day earlier. He stressed that since Macedonian is the official language of the country, neither he nor his ministers could issue the plan in any other language.