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2022 North Macedonia protests

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2022 North Macedonia protests
Date2 July 2022 - 11 August 2022 (5 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Caused by
  • Bulgaria–North Macedonia negotiations surrounding the accession of North Macedonia to the European Union
  • Rejection of the French proposal by the opposition parties in North Macedonia
  • Anti-Bulgarian sentiment in North Macedonia
  • Euroscepticism in North Macedonia
  • Pro-Russian and pro-Serbian sentiments in North Macedonia
GoalsConvince the Government of North Macedonia to reject the French proposal.
Resulted inFrench proposal approved by the Assembly of North Macedonia.
Casualties
Injuries
  • 10 protesters
  • 54 policemen[1][2]
Charged23 (Per the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia)

In early July 2022, protests began in Skopje, North Macedonia.[3] The protests were triggered by Bulgaria–North Macedonia negotiations surrounding the accession of the latter into the European Union.[4]

Background

North Macedonia has been a candidate to join the European Union (EU) since 2005. The use of the country name "Macedonia" was the object of a dispute with neighbouring Greece between 1991 and 2019, resulting in a Greek veto against EU and NATO accession talks, which lasted from 2008 to 2019. After the issue was resolved, the EU gave its formal approval to begin accession talks in March 2020. However in November 2020, Bulgaria refused to approve the European Union's negotiation framework for North Macedonia, thereby blocking the start of the country's negotiations with the EU, having prior made demands for North Macedonia to fulfil the 2017 Bulgarian-Macedonian Friendship Treaty. The conclusion of the treaty played a decisive role in Bulgaria's agreement to approve North Macedonia's NATO candidacy, and its implementation is considered by it a key to the negotiation process with the EU. North Macedonia and Bulgaria have very complicated relations, and the Bulgarian factor is known in Macedonian politics as "B-complex".[5] Against this background, the main pretension of Sofia to Skopje today is to admit to sharing a common history with Bulgaria until the end of the WWII, and the separation of the Macedonian language and nation in post-WWII Yugoslavia, but on a profoundly anti-Bulgarian basis.[6] The constitution of North Macedonia has recognized the Albanian, Turkish, Vlach, Serbian, Roma, Bosniak and other peoples, but the protesters insist that at the behest of Sofia, if Bulgarians would be recognized, it also formally would recognize that the Macedonian nation and language have Bulgarian roots and would undermine the Macedonian national identity.[7]

In June 2022, France, at the end of its rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, sent a proposal (known as the French proposal) for the negotiation framework of North Macedonia, as well as to serve as a compromise deal between North Macedonia and Bulgaria.[8][9]

The French proposal

President Macron’s proposal included several demands for North Macedonia:

  • A condition requested by Bulgaria that the protocols relating to the implementation of the 2017 Bulgarian-Macedonian Friendship Treaty, to become part of the European negotiating framework, including historic bilateral issues, directly related to the Bulgarian veto imposed on the EU accession talks with North Macedonia, due to non-performance of the Treaty.[10]
  • A demand for EU to accept issues related to the history, identity and language of the Macedonian people becoming part of the accession process, despite them not being related to the accession criteria, but are directly related to the Bulgarian veto imposed on North Macedonia due to non-performance of the treaty.[10]
  • The proposal also calls for North Macedonia to acknowledge the existence of an ethnic Bulgarian minority and to incorporate it into the country's constitution, which the ruling political parties in North Macedonia have accepted.[11]

The proposal envisages concessions from both sides. Originally, Bulgaria had made far greater demands, touching on language issues and the way North Macedonia records its history. In fact, on 24 June, after heated discussions, the Bulgarian parliament had already approved this proposal.[12] The ruling political coalition parties in North Macedonia have accepted the agreement.[11] North Macedonia's President Pendarovski and the Social Democrat-led government backed the proposed deal too.[13]

Criticism

Former European Union Special Representative and Ambassador, Head of Delegation in Republic of North Macedonia, Erwan Fouéré, described the French proposal as "yet another failure of EU leadership in the Western Balkans".[10] He pointed out the "lack of reciprocity with Bulgaria ignoring all of the relevant judgments from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria". He also criticized the EU for "accepting issues related to the history, identity and language becoming part of the accession process, despite the fact that they have absolutely nothing to do with the accession criteria". According to him, Bulgaria insists on imposing its own version of events during and after the World War II,[10] and the proposal would open the door to future bilateral disputes, weaken the EU’s transformative power in promoting the rule of law and independent judicial reforms and undermine the EU’s entire accession process.[10]

Political scientist, expert on the Balkans and professor of politics and history of Southeast Europe at the University of Graz, Florian Bieber, was also very critical. He described it as a "disaster for EU enlargement".[14][15] According to him, the French proposal will encourage extreme nationalists and increase inter-ethnic tensions.[14][15] He also pointed out the "double standards" with Bulgaria in relation to the treatment of its ethnic Macedonian minority and criticized Bulgaria for insisting that nothing in the accession process can be interpreted as a recognition of the existence of the Macedonian language.[14][15] According to him, the proposal sets a "dangerous precedent", by accepting bilateral issues in the EU enlargement process and would encourage revisionist nationalist bullying by more powerful neighbours against those outside the EU.[14][15]

Austrian historian, academic, professor of history of Southeast and Eastern Europe Studies and Director of the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, Ulf Brunnbauer, has similar objections. He used similar arguments as the former two in his criticism of the proposal.[16]

Protests

The protests, which started on 2 July, are organized by some nationalist and leftist parties, primarily VMRO-DPMNE, its coalition Renewal, Levica, Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia and others.[17] They rejected the EU's proposal to approve the country's negotiating framework, also known as the French proposal. The protesters rallied under the slogan "Ultimatum, No Thanks!"[18] On July 4, protesters symbolically burned the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria, the 2018 Prespa agreement with Greece and the so-called French proposal for the start of North Macedonia's negotiation process with the EU, calling these documents fascist.[19][20] Macedonian singer Lambe Alabakovski, who burned the documents, was arrested a month earlier by the police in Bitola in connection with the burning of a Bulgarian cultural center in the city.[21] On 5 July, 47 policemen were injured. Protesters threw various items at the parliament building, government building and the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Skopje. Offensive and even vulgar chants against the European Union and Bulgaria were heard during the protests. Slogans were raised that Bulgaria is a “fascist state” and the EU is a “fascist union”.[22] Protesters in Skopje carried mostly the former national flag, abandoned under Greek pressure, because of its relation to the controversial antiquization nation building policy,[23][24][25] as well as red flags with communist symbols, while the European flag was set on fire in one instance.[26] The protesters demanded the resignation of the government and chanted also for the restoration of the former name of the country, disputed by Greece, because of its origin. Violence escalated further when groups of ethnic Macedonians and Albanians, clashed in the centre of Skopje, at the Skanderbeg Square. During the clash demonstrators threw stones at a group of people and three armed people were present, shots were fired into the air. The armed people were later apprehended by the police. As a result of the protests, the "Albanian Alliance" ended any partnership with the opposition, which practically left it isolated, because the other Albanian formations support the government. On 14 July, thousands of protesters protested in front of the parliament, while the French proposal was being discussed. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen came to address the parliament, where she was met with whistles and jeers from the opposition MPs. The opposition MPs wore t-shirts with the word “no’ written on them in red and held up banners against the French proposal. At one point, MP Apasiev served von der Leyen a pamphlet with a large "NO" written on it. Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski also addressed the parliament and asked the MPs to accept the deal, while the opposition MPs protested.[27][28] During the same day, a demonstration march was led by Kumanovo Municipality Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski in Kumanovo.[29] On the next day an opposition lawmaker compared von der Leyen's visit to the Nazis' activity related to the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring. VMRO-DPMNE also threatened that Prime Minister Kovačevski will be in prison for what he is doing to (North) Macedonia and its people.[30] On July 16, the former Foreign Minister from VMRO-DPMNE Antonio Milošoski accused the ruling Social Democrats of treason. A deputy of the SDSM, asked him "who are you to call us traitors, you who has several passports in your pocket", alluding to the claims that he has Bulgarian citizenship,[31] as many other Macedonians.[32] At the end of the same session, with 68 "yes" votes, the parliament approved draft conclusions, giving the government a mandate to negotiate within the so-called "French proposal".[33]

The protests continued even after the adaptation of the French proposal per some Macedonian pretensions. On July 28, a demonstration was organized in front of the Bulgarian embassy. Despite the approved document includes the condition to stop "hate speech"[34] and on July 17, North Macedonia signed a special protocol with Bulgaria, to fight it,[35] with placards "No to the EU", "We don't need Europe", "No to Bulgarian blackmail", chanting "Bulgarian fascists", and a speaker stating that “Bulgaria is the most Nazi country in EU", the demonstrators painted the Vergina star on the street in front of the embassy.[36] Two more protests were organized in front of the embassy again in August with a low turnout.[37]

Reactions

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski and others condemned the violence which occurred during the protests.[38] The government of North Macedonia has insisted the protests' organizers are anti-European and pro-Russian elements.[39] Observers in Sofia have claimed these are sympathizers of anti-EU opposition parties with pro-Russian and pro-Serbian orientation,[40] which are spreading anti-Bulgarian sentiments.[41] The Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska described the public reaction in North Macedonia against the French proposal to regulate relations between Sofia and Skopje as "quite worrying".[42]

Per the Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, if the French proposal would be declined, inter-ethnic tensions will start in the country.[43] On July 9, in a joint statement, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed France's proposal as based on mutual respect, trust and understanding, calling for the necessary decision to be taken for the country to continue on its European path.[44] On the same day, the leader of the opposition Hristijan Mickoski gave an interview to a Serbian media in which he stated in Serbian that he would not support the French proposal, which practically was a Bulgarian one.[45] At the same time, the leader of the "Lеvica" party Dimitar Apasiev stated that there are alternatives to the EU, one of which is the "Serbian example".[46]

On July 12, an association of the descendants of early 20th century refugees in Bulgaria, from what is today North Macedonia, sent an appeal to the European institutions with the request to put a pressure on Skopje to start negotiations on joining the EU. According to the appeal, the reason for refusing to accept the French proposal was the lack of real decommunization in North Macedonia, more than 30 years after the fall of communism in Europe, which consequence today is the denial of their common cultural and historical heritage until 1945.[47] On the same day, Sofia sent an official note of protest against the numerous manifestations of hatred directed against Bulgaria.[48][49] Bujar Osmani, who is a Macedonian Albanian, also appealed to put an end to the hatred against Bulgaria. Because of his efforts to reach a compromise solution, the opposition mockingly has called him "Bulgar" Osmani, at its protest rallies.

Against this background, 800 educators from North Macedonia stated that by accepting the French proposal, the Macedonian people and language will be bulgarised and become a rootless tree, reduced to an artificial construction dating back to the end of the Second World War. "If this is the condition for entering the EU, then we say no", the address concludes.[50] According to Bulgarian analysts, the protests in Skopje shed light on the essence of the problem. It is about Bulgarianophobia encouraged by Moscow and Belgrade, from which the Macedonians don't want to give up. It is the basis of their ethnic identity and the Macedonians are afraid that without it, they will cease to exist. In such case they don't need the EU. The battle in Skopje is as much against Bulgaria, as it is against Europe.[51]

"The future of your country is in the European Union", wrote the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in a tweet in Macedonian language, after she visited Skopje on July 14, during the visit she addressed the Parliament. Von der Leyen's message was met with negative reactions from Macedonian Twitter users, judging by the comments they left. According to her, the acceptance of the French proposal will enable the unblocking of European integration and the opening of the first phase of the accession negotiations, which will represent a positive impulse for the reform process and the progress of North Macedonia.[52] On the same day, the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that he would demand that Albania be separated in its European path from the Macedonian-Bulgarian dispute, if the French proposal doesn't receive a "positive answer" in Skopje.[53]

On July 16, after the parliament approved the so-called "French proposal", Mickoski stated that the opposition was yet to block the negotiation process. He announces that it will not allow the inclusion of Bulgarians in the constitution, for which a qualified majority is required. This is a condition without which at some future point the negotiations process will be suspended.[54]

On July 29, President Pendarovski made a statement that Russian spies from a neighboring country, whose name he refused to mention, were infiltrating North Macedonia. It is an open secret that this might be only Serbia. Pendarovski also claimed that these agents were involved in the protests. According to him, Russia finances the opposition in the country.[55]

On July 31, the EU Ambassador in Skopje, David Geer, has warned that if the country does not change its constitution, the negotiation process will stop.[56]

According to some Bulgarian analysts, belated communism has been swirling on the streets of Skopje, while according to others, this is a neo-fascism.[57][58]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A demonstration march was also held in Kumanovo.

References

  1. ^ "Тројца полициски службеници се повредени, а пет лица се приведени за време на вчерашниот јавен собир". Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia (in Macedonian). Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Спасовски со благодарност до граѓаните и припадниците на полицијата". Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia (in Macedonian). Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  3. ^ "North Macedonia: More violence reported at protests". AP NEWS. 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  4. ^ "Concessions to Bulgaria prompts violence in North Macedonia". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  5. ^ Kyril Drezov, Bulgaria and Macedonia: Voluntary Dependence on External Actors in Democratic Consolidation in Eastern Europe Volume 2: International and Transnational Factors with Jan Zielonka and Alex Pravda as ed., Oxford University Press, 2001; ISBN 0199241686, pp. 413-414.
  6. ^ Boris Georgievski, Bulgaria asks EU to stop 'fake' Macedonian identity. Deutsche Welle, 23.09.2020.
  7. ^ Valentina Dimitrievska, North Macedonia protests against deal with Bulgaria enter third day. bne IntelliNews, July 4, 2022.
  8. ^ "A proposal has arrived from the French Presidency to the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia". Government of the Republic of North Macedonia website. 30 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Macron says compromise has been found over North Macedonia's EU bid". Euractiv. July 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Yet another failure of EU leadership in the Western Balkans". CEPS. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  11. ^ a b North Macedonia: Protesters clash with police over Bulgarian demands. 06.07.2022, Deutsche Welle.
  12. ^ "Bulgarian parliament votes to lift veto on EU accession talks with North Macedonia". France24. AFP. 25 June 2022.
  13. ^ N Macedonia protests grow over France's controversial EU seat proposal. 07.07.2022, TRT World.
  14. ^ a b c d "Bieber: The French proposal is a disaster for the EU, Brussels accepted Sofia's nationalist logic - Free Press". Слободен печат. 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  15. ^ a b c d "[Opinion] North Macedonia's EU accession talks — a 'rotten deal'". EUobserver. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  16. ^ "Брунбауер: Зошто францускиот предлог е бескорисен и опасен – DW – 8.07.2022". dw.com (in Macedonian). Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  17. ^ "От македонец българин не става". Протестите в Скопие. Протестите в Скопие продължават с блокади. Mediapool.bg, 08 юли 2022..
  18. ^ "In North Macedonia's Protest Wave, Right and Left Mingle". Balkan Insight. 2022-07-08.
  19. ^ "Скандал: Ламбе Алабаковски изгори плакат с Договора за добросъседство". Telegraph.bg. 4 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022.
  20. ^ North Macedonia: Nationalist protesters reject French EU proposal. Deutsche Welle, 03.07.2022.
  21. ^ "Macedonian Singer living in the US was the one who Set on Fire Bulgaria's Cultural Center in Bitola". Novinite. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  22. ^ Европа също става „фашистка“ за опозицията в Скопие. ВМРО-ДПМНЕ разпалва обществена истерия срещу „българизацията на Македония“. Сега, 08 Юли 2022.
  23. ^ Tchavdar Marinov, Famous Macedonia, the Land of Alexander: Macedonian Identity at the Crossroads of Greek, Bulgarian and Serbian Nationalism. In: Entangled Histories of the Balkans - Volume One, pp. 273–330
  24. ^ Anastas Vangeli (2011) Nation-building ancient Macedonian style: the origins and the effects of the so-called antiquization in Macedonia, Nationalities Papers, 39:1, 13-32,
  25. ^ James Bridle, New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future, Verso Books, 2018 ISBN 178663550X, p. 233.
  26. ^ Подпалвачът от Битоля изгори плакати на Договора със Скопие и френското предложение. БНТ, 04.07.2022.
  27. ^ "Lawmakers In North Macedonia Resume Debate On Proposal To Unblock EU Bid". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  28. ^ "French proposal vote to be restructured in Macedonian Paliament vote". Euractiv. 15 July 2022.
  29. ^ "PHOTO: Maxim Dimitrievski at the head of a protest against the French proposal in Kumanovo". Sloboden Pečat. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  30. ^ Маринела Величкова, Власт и опозиция с призиви и обвинения преди заседанието в РСМ за френското предложение. Dir.bg, 15 юли 2022.
  31. ^ Каракачанов огласи видни македонци с български паспорти. Списъкът съвпада с имена от антибългарската партия ВМРО-ДПМНЕ, която реагира гневно. Сега, 11 Март 2021.
  32. ^ Жолчна дебата зачинета со свирежи и обвинувања. Од НМ - 16.07.2022.
  33. ^ "North Macedonia Backs French Compromise To Clear EU Path". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  34. ^ The proposal... talks of the Macedonian government's obligation to protect the rights of all "minorities and communities" by preventing "hate speech" and discrimination. No Easy Escape For North Macedonia From Bulgaria's EU Veto. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 22, 2022.
  35. ^ The inclusion of the Bulgarian and other nations living on the territory of North Macedonia in the Constitution, the acceleration of the work of the Historical Committee, fighting "hate speech", a celebration of joint historical events and persons, changing content in history and geography books, these are some of the articles in the Protocol that was signed yesterday by the foreign affairs ministers of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria. For more see: Nenad Georgievski, The Protocol from the second meeting between the intergovernmental Macedonian-Bulgarian committee is published. Meta.mk, 18 July 2022.
  36. ^ Протест пред сградата на българското посолство в Скопие 28 July 2022
  37. ^ Fifty People Protested in front of the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje [www.novinite.com, 12 August 2022]
  38. ^ "North Macedonia: More violence reported at protests". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  39. ^ Sinisa Jakov Marusic, North Macedonia Arrests Armed Man at Ethnic Scuffle in Capital. BIRN, July 7, 2022.
  40. ^ Сърбия позволи на Скопие да приеме френското предложение за ЕС. Сега, 07 Юли 2022 г.
  41. ^ Атанас Величков: Антибългарската истерия задушава бъдещето на РС Македония. BGNES, 06.07.2022.
  42. ^ Иван Гергов, Генчовска за протестите в РСМ: Доста притеснителна реакция. News.bg, 06.07.2022.
  43. ^ Osmani: They announced inter-ethnic tensions, they spin my statement about harmony, Republika.mk, 08.07.2022.
  44. ^ North Macedonia: Joint Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on support for opening EU Accession Negotiations, EEAS Press Team, 09.07.2022.
  45. ^ Мицкоски: Няма да променяме Конституцията за 750 семейства, които говорят български. BGNES, 09.07.2022.
  46. ^ Лидерът на македонската "Левица": Има алтернативи на ЕС, една от които е "сръбският пример". BGNES, 09.07.2022.
  47. ^ Апел: Западът да окаже натиск върху РСМ, за да започне преговори за ЕС. BGNES, 12.07.2022.
  48. ^ Надежда Христова, МВнР изпрати нота до Скопие заради "многобройни прояви и лозунги" срещу България. Dir.bg, 12 юли 2022.
  49. ^ "Bulgarian MFA with a Note to North Macedonia because of Anti-Bulgarian slogans on the Protests". Novinite. 2022-07-12.
  50. ^ Кристина Алексиеска, Над 800 интелектуалци го потпишаа „Манифестот на македонските учители“- НЕ за понижувачкиот француски предлог. АЛФА, 12.07.2022.
  51. ^ Светослав Терзиев, Сръбски и руски протежета излязоха на македонския рубеж. Сега, 13 Юли 2022.
  52. ^ Ве сакаме во ЕУ: Фон дер Лајен објави порака на македонски на Твитер. НОВА МАКЕДОНИЈА, 14.07.2022.
  53. ^ Рама ќе бара Албанија да се одвои од македонско-бугарскиот спор, ако не добие „позитивен резултат“ од Скопје. Од НМ - 21:32 14.07.2022.
  54. ^ Мицкоски: Ништо не е готово, пратениците на нотар се обврзуваат дека нема да поминат уставни измени. Од НМ - 16.07.2022.
  55. ^ Руска агентура прониква по съседски в РС Македония. Президентът Стево Пендаровски отказа да посочи държавата, която служи за московска база. Сега, 29 Юли 2022.
  56. ^ Маринела Величкова, Посланикът на ЕС в Скопие: Променете конституцията, иначе няма мърдане напред. 31 юли 2022, Dir.bg.
  57. ^ Цочо Билярски: В Скопие се вихри закъснял комунизъм –Иван Михайлов не е фашист, той спира създаването на Хитлерова Македония. Faktor.bg, 25.04.2022.
  58. ^ Николай Овчаров, Задава ли се „обикновен фашизъм“ в Северна Македония. Trud.bg, 09.07.2022.