North Macedonia’s political leadership pushed back against remarks by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who described national identity in cultural and culinary terms, prompting criticism that Brussels was trivializing sensitive identity issues in the Balkan country.
Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski said national identity cannot be reduced to folklore or cuisine, describing it instead as a legacy of historical struggle, language, and culture.
“Our identity is our language, our history, and our centuries-old culture built through complex and difficult times,” Mucunski told reporters in Skopje. “No one has the right to deny us our identity, nor to challenge our right to honor what is part of us as Macedonians.”
His comments followed a statement by Kos during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, where she said identity is not a matter of political negotiation and illustrated it with references to Macedonian specialties like tavche gravche (baked beans), pinjur (pepper relish), and stuffed peppers.
Mickoski immediately rebutted the comment, saying identity is rooted in historical figures and events such as Goce Delchev, Dame Gruev, the Ilinden Uprising, and literary pioneers like the Miladinov brothers.
“For me, Macedonian identity is not just our beautiful cuisine – it is Goce Delchev, Shapkarev, the Ilinden Uprising, and so much more. I don’t know if our eastern neighbors agree, but that is our identity,” Mickoski said.
Opposition reactions reflect broader EU skepticism
The opposition Social Democratic Union (SDSM) took a more cautious tone, saying Kos’ remarks were likely not ill-intentioned, but stressed that the Macedonian language and identity are already formally recognized by the EU in previous agreements.
“We expected the Commissioner to reaffirm what the EU has already acknowledged – that the Macedonian identity and language are undisputed,” the party said in a statement, urging careful language when addressing sensitive topics.
The nationalist Left party was more scathing, accusing the EU of reducing national identity to “a gastronomic menu.”
“This rhetoric represents a relativization of our national identity and an attempt to strip it of its historical, political, and state-building dimensions,” the party said, warning of growing Euroscepticism among citizens due to “failed reforms, unfulfilled promises, and a colonial tone from Brussels.”
The incident underscores the political fragility around identity in North Macedonia, particularly in the wake of a French-brokered deal to resolve disputes with Bulgaria, which demands constitutional amendments recognizing the Bulgarian minority. While the EU insists no new conditions will follow, Skopje remains wary.
Fire tragedy, reforms, and rising tensions
Kos visited Skopje for the EU–Western Balkans summit, where she praised North Macedonia for progress on the EU’s €6 billion Growth Plan. She is expected to return for a bilateral visit, including a joint trip with Mickoski to meet families affected by the March nightclub fire in Kocani, which left 62 people dead and over 200 injured.
But her culinary metaphor for identity may have overshadowed the visit, turning a diplomatic moment into a flashpoint that exposed the fragility of North Macedonia’s European path.