The mood in the Balkan country of North Macedonia on possible concessions to neighboring Bulgaria as a precondition for EU accession negotiations is still extremely heated. Violent mass protests, carried out by conservative and nationalist forces, have been going on for days. The leader of the national conservative party VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, now accuses the government of wanting to “eliminate” him.
Armed people showed up at the protests, Mickoski said. The Interior Ministry immediately denied the opposition leader’s allegations. Police officers were also on site and intervened to prevent incidents. However, the arrest of a 40-year-old man, believed to have been an opponent of the demonstrations, who was allegedly seen with a gun in his hand, was also confirmed.
According to media reports, he is an official of the Alliance for Albanians, which supports the French compromise proposal, which is intended to allow EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia.
Fear of “Bulgarianization” of North Macedonia
Opponents of the French proposal speak of an attempt to “Bulgarianize” North Macedonia. Above all, the planned constitutional amendment to safeguard the rights of the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia is controversial.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
