ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Strasbourg Calling - a live studio from the European Parliament in Strasbourg

Before the report on North Macedonia and the red light "Macedonian identity and language"

Bulgarian MEPs Ivaylo Valchev and Andrey Kovatchev talk to BNR

Authors: ,
Photo: BTA

"What we have let slip, we have let slip over the last 20 years, not yesterday or the day before."

This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by Ivaylo Valchev, MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), before today's vote in the EP on the report on the progress of the Republic of North Macedonia on its path to EU membership.

It was important to engage high-level Bulgarian institutions to respond to the claims of the Macedonian side at this level, he emphasized.

According to him, the Macedonian side is lobbying extremely hard, and their Prime Minister says he knows who will vote how.

"The question remains how many people in the hall will support "identity and language".


Nowhere has the word "centuries-old" been mentioned before. Mr. Mickoski's interpretation that the EP will recognize a centuries-old identity and language does not correspond to the truth, assured MEP Andrey Kovatchev from the European People's Party (EPP) in the live studio of the BNR from Strasbourg called "Strasbourg Calling".

The younger generations cannot be educated to hate their neighbors, he expressed his opinion.

The main political groups - the EPP, the socialists and the liberals - have jointly submitted "amendments to delete and remove the texts that refer to Macedonian identity and the Macedonian language", reminded Kovatchev.

"These are the main amendments that we are following."

Andrey Kovatchev expressed his expectation that most MEPs would follow the requests of their political formations during the vote.

Overcoming the Yugoslav-communist doctrine is very difficult, the MEP admitted.

In his words, "the fight against Bulgarians" must be overcome, because ideological overtones have no place, and those in power in Skopje are "bringing the RSM into the Serbian world."


Read also:


English publication: Rositsa Petkova

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria Politics    Andrey Kovatchev Ivaylo Valchev North Macedonia report on the progress of North Macedonia Republic of North Macedonia

More from category

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spas Tashev: Every "Macedonian identity" also includes Bulgarians

The draft report on the progress of North Macedonia on its path to European integration has been a hot Balkan topic in recent weeks, after rapporteur Thomas Weitz included in the document concepts such as "Macedonian identity" and..

published on 7/5/25 12:35 PM

EC greenlights changes to Bulgaria's RRP

The European Commission has given a positive assessment of Bulgaria’s amended Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). According to BNR correspondent in Brussels Angelina Piskova, the document includes a special chapter dedicated to attaining independence..

published on 7/2/25 4:54 PM
GERB leader Boyko Borissov

Boyko Borissov: The government is making efforts to resolve the issues with North Macedonia

Bulgaria’s National Assembly rejected the proposal by the Vazrazhdane party to summon Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev for a hearing regarding the vote by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, which adopted a report on North Macedonia’s..

published on 6/25/25 12:09 PM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 11 | Max: 28
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 21 | Max: 26
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 20 | Max: 25
Partly Cloudy
Min: 13 | Max: 29
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 12 | Max: 26
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 13 | Max: 28
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 12 | Max: 26
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 15 | Max: 28
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 16 | Max: 30
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 11 | Max: 27
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 13 | Max: 27
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 13 | Max: 28
Partly Cloudy
Min: 15 | Max: 29
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 11 | Max: 26
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 14 | Max: 27
Partly Cloudy
Min: 16 | Max: 30
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 14 | Max: 27
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 15 | Max: 29
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 16 | Max: 29
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 29
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 8 | Max: 19
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 12 | Max: 26
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 15 | Max: 31
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 14 | Max: 27
Partly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 32
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 14 | Max: 28
Partly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 31
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

Now that we are officially in the Eurozone, are Bulgarians still worried?

It’s official—Bulgaria is now the 21st country in the eurozone. From 1 January 2026, the euro will become the legal tender, although levs will still be..

published on 7/9/25 1:02 PM

EP Vice President Sabine Verheyen: The European Media Freedom Act has nothing to do with censorship

The deadline for the start of the implementation of the new European Media Freedom Act (FEMA) is fast approaching - August this year. "Some..

published on 7/9/25 2:41 PM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"