Diplomatic tensions between North Macedonia and neighboring Bulgaria have intensified, after Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski accused Sofia of attempting to portray Skopje as the culprit in front of NATO and the European Union.
“The goal of Bulgaria is to send a message to our European partners and NATO that we are the ones to blame,” Mickoski said, responding to Bulgaria’s recent demand for an apology over his remarks.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Zhelyazkov earlier called on Mickoski to apologize after the North Macedonian leader described Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev as “a mouse provoking a lion.” The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry condemned the comment as offensive and accused Mickoski of fostering “a climate of hostility.”
Mickoski’s conservative government, led by the VMRO-DPMNE party, has rejected Sofia’s criticism and vowed not to compromise on national identity issues. “This is our ‘Krushevo Manifesto’ – there will be no more concessions, no more betrayals,” Mickoski said following the adoption of a European Parliament report on North Macedonia which, due to Bulgarian amendments, omitted references to the “Macedonian language” and “Macedonian identity.”
Andrey Kovatchev, a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament, added fuel to the fire by calling a recent incident involving Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska “another attack on a Bulgarian citizen.” Arsovska, however, denied having Bulgarian citizenship and insisted that police have a duty to protect all citizens in North Macedonia.
Opposition lawmakers in Skopje accused Mickoski of using inflammatory rhetoric that harms relations with Bulgaria. “Statesmanship requires restraint, not nationalist provocation,” said opposition MP and former defense minister Slavjanka Petrovska.
Meanwhile, former Bulgarian ambassador Velizar Enchev called on Sofia to recall its ambassador from Skopje and halt assistance in fighting wildfires in North Macedonia — a move Macedonian analysts described as “humiliating and counterproductive.”
Despite the tensions, former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov struck a more conciliatory tone, extending “a hand of friendship” and calling for continued implementation of the bilateral Friendship Treaty. “In me and in Bulgaria, they will always have a sincere and close partner,” Borissov said.
Political analysts warn that the sharp rhetoric could further derail North Macedonia’s stalled EU accession process, particularly after the European Parliament’s recent report, which critics in Skopje say undermines their national identity.