Skopje, 4 June 2025 (MIA) – The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) postponing the vote on the country’s draft report at its Wednesday’s session, whose amendments referring to Macedonian identity and language were disputed by Bulgarian MEPs, is considered by some Macedonian ambassadors as a major victory of the Macedonian diplomacy saying the truth has come to light.

Ambassador Ivica Bocevski and former special representative as part of the Hungarian EU presidency said regardless of the “finale”, it’s clear that the Macedonian diplomacy won a major victory in a major battle when it comes to shining a light on what the Bulgarian position is.

“Now, the whole European public can see that the only thing that is disputable is the very existence of Macedonian language, Macedonian identity and the very existence of a Macedonian nation. In 2025, a nation’s right to existence is being denied by a member country of the EU in the European Parliament, the home of European democracy,” Bocevski said speaking to members of the media after a roundtable of the Council of Ambassadors on the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. 

Amongs other things, said Bocevski, it suggests that the whole Macedonian diplomatic network, not just the foreign minister, had been fully engaged in the endeavour “of clarifying the crucial reasons why Macedonia has an issue with the Bulgarian proposal and things have come to light.” 

“Now we’re seeing what the real problem is – misusing the European integration, turning European integration into a weapon aimed at the Macedonian identity and culture. This isn’t the first time; this is the second time in modern Macedonian history. In my opinion, our response to this should be “no”. The very idea of European integration was something very different. Recent events in Ukraine have shown us what could happen when a nation’s existence is denied," said Bocevski. 

Denying of the Macedonian nation is what lies behind the Bulgarian demands, according to the diplomat.

“Under these conditions, it is impossible for the Macedonian authorities to move on, while at the same time, it is a signal from Sofia that its authorities are not serious when it comes to finding a way for Macedonia to resume its EU integration process,” Bocevski stated.

It's a good thing, he added, that a series of high-level visits have taken place recently in the country and I expect it to continue by the end of this month. 

Unlike in the past, Bocevski said, at the moment an adequate policy is being implemented that takes care of the Macedonian national interests. “I expect this engagement of our diplomacy and the top officials, including President Siljanovska, PM Mickoski and Minister Mucunski, to continue to resolve this issue. I also have no doubt that the Macedonian European integration has ever stopped as a process. No one has any remarks about Macedonia regarding the essence of the EU integration process, they criticize things that have nothing to do with the Macedonian EU integration,” concluded Bocevski.

Commenting on the same matter, Ambassador Zoran Jolevski and member of the Council of Ambassadors, said the uniqueness of the Macedonian identity is a reality no one can deny. 

“I guess they want to have additional consultations. What is more important is that we, as a country and as a region, should continue implementing reforms because at the end of the day, the reforms will benefit our citizens and our economy in becoming competitive with the European economy,” stated Jolevski. 

Commending on Bulgaria’s criticism that the report’s content had been leaked to the Macedonian authorities before being published and whether it could be considered our diplomatic victory, he said “the truth is on our side and the victory is ours.”

“It’s common when someone is preparing a report on a certain country for them to consult with the country in question. It’s our victory because the truth is on our side. We live in the 21st century. To deny the identity of a nation is unheard of,” said Jolevski. 

EP rapporteur for the country, MEP Thomas Waitz has proposed that the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) should postpone voting on the country’s report. The vote has been rescheduled for June 24.

MIA file photo