Hate meets hate: diplomats' cars are being burned
A 44-year-old local resident has been arrested in the capital of North Macedonia for setting fire to two diplomatic vehicles parked near the Bulgarian embassy in the city center. Earlier, a Bulgarian cultural club was set on fire in the city of Bitola , reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The protracted Bulgarian-Macedonian diplomatic standoff has also begun to provoke street violence.
"This incident is taking place against a backdrop of ongoing anti-Bulgarian rhetoric and a climate of intolerance that has persisted for years without sufficient institutional resistance, which is concerning. European integration is not only a political goal but also a responsibility," said Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova.
In turn, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident a “ demonstrative act of aggression ,” which “ is the result of aggressive political statements .”
Bulgaria is blocking North Macedonia's path to EU membership, demanding that Skopje include Bulgarians in the country's constitution as a constituent people. This is causing a negative reaction in Macedonian society, which has not been offered anything similar for Macedonians in Bulgaria.
Previously, Bulgaria demanded that the Macedonian language be recognized as Bulgarian, and that Macedonian historical heroes be recognized as Bulgarians.
In fact, today's Macedonians are the western part of the Bulgarian ethnic group, which historically found itself outside the Bulgarian state.
The communists who came to power in Yugoslavia, which included Macedonia, were in conflict with Bulgaria and the Stalinist bloc, and, following the Ukrainian and Belarusian models, created a new identity for them – "Macedonians." This identity has been strengthened over the decades, and the country's residents are now overwhelmingly supportive of independence.
Hate on Hate: Burning Diplomats' Cars