Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev dismissed claims that the European Parliament’s draft report on North Macedonia includes recognition of a "centuries-old Macedonian identity," calling such assertions by Skopje "manipulative and fictitious." Writing on Facebook, Kovatchev stressed that the report neither contains nor suggests such a concept.

His reaction came after North Macedonia’s Prime Minister and VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski asserted that Europe has finally acknowledged the "truth of Macedonian identity," and predicted the EP report on Skopje’s progress would be approved. Mickoski claimed that Europe and Brussels recognize a centuries-old distinct Macedonian identity and language.

Kovatchev responded that while a Macedonian identity exists today and Bulgaria recognizes it, it is not centuries-old - something anyone familiar with history can see. He reminded that many historical VMRO figures identified as Bulgarians, including those whose images currently appear on VMRO-DPMNE’s headquarters in Skopje.

The MEP described Mickoski’s claim that the EP report confirms “Macedonian eternity” as a cheap political maneuver designed to obscure the reality that Mickoski has agreed only to minor constitutional acknowledgments of Bulgarians in North Macedonia’s preamble. Kovatchev insisted this concession is insufficient for the EU to start accession talks.

Kovatchev reiterated that Bulgaria can halt the EU process if North Macedonia fails to respect the 2017 Good Neighbor Agreement, its protocols, and the rights of ethnic Macedonian Bulgarians.

He clarified that Bulgaria’s constitution is civic and does not recognize ethnic communities, meaning there is no committee for ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria. According to Kovatchev, such a body does not exist because the Bulgarian constitution does not provide for it.

Calling on Skopje to abandon fruitless lobbying and myth-making, Kovatchev urged North Macedonia’s authorities to break from the communist legacy of Tito’s Yugoslavia and pursue real steps toward EU integration.

On June 9, Kovatchev announced a legislative initiative to amend Bulgaria’s Citizenship Law. His proposal introduces a public register at the Ministry of Justice listing all individuals who have received Bulgarian citizenship by origin retroactively. He noted that 120,000 to 130,000 North Macedonian citizens hold Bulgarian citizenship by origin but are often reluctant to disclose it.

Meanwhile, on June 4, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee postponed voting on the North Macedonia progress report, following rapporteur Thomas Weitz’s proposal. The vote in committee is set for June 24, with a plenary vote expected in Strasbourg in July.

It also emerged that all Bulgarian MEPs sent a letter raising concerns about the report, highlighting irregularities including premature leaks of internal parliamentary documents and compromise amendments to officials in Skopje, according to the GERB/EPP press office. An example cited was Mickoski’s detailed prior knowledge of the report on June 1, before its public release.