The demonstration was supported by the main opposition party in North Macedonia, the right-wing nationalist party VMRO-DPMNE.
“We don’t need Europe if we want to absorb us,” VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristian Mikowski told protesters who held banners with “No to the EU” and chanted “Treason”.
Since 2020, Bulgaria has halted progress in negotiations with North Macedonia, as well as with Albania, for EU membership.
However, on June 24, Sophia filed a veto under certain circumstances.
According to the settlement on the table, which has been prepared under the just-ending French bi-annual presidency of the Council of the European Union, Skopje, in particular, should amend its constitution to include Bulgarians in the recognized races and implement the 2017 Treaty of Friendship. Eliminate hate speech.
North Macedonia is also called upon to review its school curricula and open communist police archives supposed to show the mistreatment of Bulgarians in this former Yugoslav republic.
The Skopje government, whose resignation protesters have demanded, rejected an earlier French proposal in June, before signaling its willingness to accept another. Public consultations on its content have begun.
According to local experts on European affairs and the opposition, the draft of the new agreement is not much different from the first.
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