In pursuit of its campaign of cultural genocide against Macedonians, Bulgaria continues to demand the erasure of Macedonian identity, history, culture, and language in exchange for lifting its veto of Macedonia's European Union membership bid.

Seeing the success and Western support that Greece gained in demanding the same through the forced name change into the highly derogatory "North Macedonia" in exchange for lifting its veto of Macedonia's NATO membership bid, Bulgaria has chosen to emulate Greece's tactics.

Specifically, Bulgaria's conditions include: Macedonia renouncing the existence of Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia (annexed by Bulgaria in 1913 and constituting a large internationally recognized minority) and the ironic and illogical inclusion of Bulgarians in Macedonia's Constitution despite Bulgarians never having a presence in the Republic of Macedonia; declarations that Macedonians "never existed" and are “truly Bulgarian” (despite Bulgaria appropriating Macedonian history when forging its own identity); further rewriting of history to erase any reference to Bulgaria's mass murder and persecution of Macedonians; removing reference to Bulgaria’s alliance with Nazi Germany during World War II and occupation of Macedonia, and including the deportation of more than 7,000 Macedonian Jews to the Treblinka death camp in Poland; and demanding that the Macedonian minority in Albania, despite being an officially recognized minority by Albania and internationally, be suddenly recognized as “Bulgarian” in exchange for Bulgaria’s support of Albania’s European Union membership bid.

The West only issued condemnation of the rewriting of Jewish history, but not Macedonian history or any of the other demands and, instead, fully supports and enables the rest of Bulgaria’s conditions. Unsurprising, considering the West's history of participation in genocide and cultural genocide against Macedonians, its support of Israel's genocide in Palestine and wars against other countries, and Western intervention and mass murder worldwide.

Even though the "international rules-based order" has been publicly and clearly exposed as a Western fraud — a fact admitted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his speech at the World Economic Forum on January 20, 2026 — Macedonian politicians continue to prove their appeasement and subservience to the West, first with the forced name change with Greece and now with the negotiations with Bulgaria.

In order to force through its policies, a common Western tactic is to either install puppet regimes in target countries or to exert control over their governments. Both have occurred in Macedonia.

As told directly to Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, and all politicians, Macedonian Human Rights Movement International reiterates its demand that Macedonia immediately and permanently end all negotiations with Bulgaria and that it reverses the forced name change and all anti-Macedonian treaties. Continued refusal by the Macedonian government to take these actions further cements its legacy as a willing participant in Macedonia's demise.

Note: MHRMI is against EU and NATO membership for Macedonia as these organizations blatantly defy their "values of spreading democracy and human rights".

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. MHRMI demands respect for Macedonia's name, identity and human rights for oppressed Macedonians in the Balkans. For more information: 1-416-850-7125, info@mhrmi.org, mhrmi.org, twitter.com/mhrmi, facebook.com/mhrmi, instagram.com/MacedonianHumanRights #OurNameIsMacedonia