Balgarianovinite.com Association “Descendants of Refugees and Migrants from the Territory of North Macedonia and Friends”
STATEMENT OF PROTEST
Sofia, 22 April 2026
ToHis ExcellencyMr Paul LambertAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Bulgaria
Mr Maxime PrévotDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Belgium
Copy to:Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of BulgariaEuropean CommissionEuropean Parliament
Subject: Public statements by the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs during his visit to the Republic of North Macedonia (15 April 2026)
Dear Sir or Madam,
The Association “Descendants of Refugees and Migrants from the Territory of North Macedonia and Friends”, representing the interests of more than 400,000 Bulgarian citizens of origin from North Macedonia—part of a broader community exceeding 1.3 million Bulgarian citizens originating from the geographical region of Macedonia—expresses its deep concern and firm protest regarding the publicly circulated statements attributed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium, Mr Maxime Prévot, made during his visit to Skopje on 15 April 2026, according to which “bilateral issues should not hinder the process of European Union enlargement.”
Such a formulation is not only inaccurate, but also conceptually misleading.
The issue concerning the rights of citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia with a preserved Bulgarian identity is not bilateral in nature; rather, it has deep internal historical and societal roots. This internal conflict dates back to the end of 1944, when, within the framework of Yugoslav state policy, a process of forced transformation of the traditionally Bulgarian identity into a newly constructed Macedonian identity was initiated. This process was accompanied by widespread repression against individuals who refused to renounce their Bulgarian self-identification.
In order to fully grasp the scale of this process, it should be noted that a number of Belgian observers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Émile de Laveleye, Hippolyte Desprez, Paul Otlet and others, as well as Belgian consuls and diplomats in the Ottoman Empire, testified to the Bulgarian character of the population in Macedonia. Their accounts make the scale of the subsequent process even more evident: while other communities in Macedonia preserved their identities, it was precisely the Bulgarian population that was subjected to a consistent and systematic policy of transformation into “ethnic” Macedonians.
Of particular concern is the fact that this pattern does not belong solely to the past. One of the most recent cases dates from early March 2026, when a citizen of North Macedonia was detained on charges of “extremism”, “radicalization” and “incitement to hatred against the state and its identity”, merely for preparing the production of stickers bearing the inscription “Bulgarians in the Constitution”. If citizens of North Macedonia were to promote, on a broader public scale, the views of the aforementioned Belgian observers, there are serious grounds to assume that they too could become subject to similar pressure and persecution.
The fact that, during the period of the communist regime, Bulgaria did not raise this issue at the international level does not negate its existence. On the contrary, it attests to the prolonged suppression of a genuine internal societal conflict.
It is only in recent years that the Republic of Bulgaria has begun to openly support the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia who are striving to exercise their human rights and their right to freely declare their identity. This support does not “create” the problem, nor does it transform it into a bilateral dispute – it merely brings it to light.
It should be clearly emphasized that:
· the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia constitute an inalienable part of the system of fundamental human rights;
· human rights, by their very nature, are universal and cannot be treated as a “bilateral political dispute”;
· any state aspiring to join the European Union is obliged to guarantee these rights unconditionally.
In this context, it should be recalled that all Member States of the European Union, including the Kingdom of Belgium, unanimously adopted in 2022 the Negotiating Framework for the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia.
This framework contains clearly defined obligations, including:
· the inclusion of the Bulgarian community in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia on an equal footing with the other recognized communities;
· the implementation of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with the Republic of Bulgaria;
· the implementation of the relevant protocols to that Treaty;
· tangible progress in countering hate speech and historical falsifications;
· ensuring conditions for an objective and academically grounded presentation of history within the educational system;
· the opening of the archives of the Yugoslav repressive services related to the persecution of individuals with a Bulgarian self-identification;
· the rehabilitation of the victims of the Yugoslav communist regime who suffered as a result of its anti-Bulgarian policies.
Against this background, the following fundamental questions arise for the Belgian side:
· Does the Kingdom of Belgium support a policy under which:
– citizens are subjected to social and institutional pressure on account of their identity;– the historical narrative is constructed on the basis of systematic falsifications;– access to archives related to past repressions is restricted;– individuals who oppose such practices are subjected to pressure and stigmatization?
· Does the Belgian state consider such practices to be compatible with the values of the European Union?
· Is there a place for such policies within a European Union founded on the rule of law, the protection of human rights, and the dignity of the individual?
We state clearly that support for the enlargement of the European Union cannot be separated from compliance with its fundamental values. Any attempt to oppose these two principles undermines the very idea of European integration.
We call upon the Belgian side to refine its public positions by taking into account the true nature of the issue, to refrain from formulations that inadvertently legitimize its mischaracterization as a “bilateral dispute”, and to contribute to the effective safeguarding of fundamental human rights in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Respectfully,
Co-Chairs: Prof. Spas Tashev, DSc; Prof. Trendafil Mitev, DSc; Ilya StoyanovskiSecretary: Dimitar M. Dimitrov Association of Descendants of Refugees and Migrants from the Territory of North Macedonia Issues Statement of Protest 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-22 15:05:55 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law