Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
MHRMI Thanks the European Free Alliance for its Declaration in Support of Macedonians in Bulgaria and Greece
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Press Release
Press Release

MHRMI Thanks the European Free Alliance for its Declaration in Support of Macedonians in Bulgaria and Greece

The European Free Alliance (EFA) continued its strong support of human rights for Macedonians by issuing the declaration below, adopted at its General Assembly of October 14-16, 2021 in Brussels.

EFA exposes Bulgaria and Greece for its systematic discrimination against Macedonians and highlights the European Union's own protocols which mandate it to take immediate action to end these human rights abuses.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International thanks EFA for its tireless work in defence of human rights and calls on other organizations and political parties to issue similar statements demanding an end to discrimination against Macedonians.

Name of the person introducing the Motion/Declaration

Stoyan Dimitrov, OMO Ilinden PIRIN

Member parties

OMO Ilinden Pirin, Rainbow-Vinozhito

Title (of the Motion/Declaration)

For a just policy toward Bulgaria’s and Greece’s indigenous Macedonians

The EU should encourage Bulgaria and Greece to foster the self-determination and cultural identity of its citizens from indigenous Macedonian origin.

  1. Considering the report on “Minimum standards for minorities in the EU” from (2018/2036(INI))
  2. Considering the fact that the Macedonians are indigenous people on the territory of Bulgaria and Greece and display distinctive cultural traits, maintain long-term and loyal ties to the state and are sufficiently representative although smaller in number as than the rest of the population of that state;
  3. Considering foremost that the Macedonians are strongly motivated to preserve that which constitutes their common identity, including their culture, their traditions and their Macedonian language;
  4. Considering that the Macedonians fulfil the criteria for a minority according to the aforementioned EU-Report on Minimum standards for minorities in the EU;
  5. Considering that, Macedonians are subject of state organized systematic policies of assimilation, discrimination and denial of their human and minority rights;
  6. Considering the long-term anti-Macedonian policies of Bulgaria and Greece since the 19th century;

the European Free Alliance calls for:

  1. Bulgaria and Greece to find a national consensus on the Macedonian issue and acknowledge its responsibility towards the Macedonian minority on their territory thereby pursuing European minority policy, and to grant Macedonians all the rights under the Framework Convention for Protection of National Minorities and other relevant standard documents for minorities.
  2. Bulgaria and Greece, which the EU consider as Rule of Law states, to act as such and to apply a just and non-discriminatory procedural approach toward issues concerning indigenous Macedonians on their territory.
  3. Bulgaria and Greece to be encouraged to establish a commission for permanent dialogue with representatives of the indigenous Macedonians in order to start a process for giving internationally guaranteed rights and freedoms.
  4. Bulgaria and Greece to change their policies towards the Macedonian nation in spirit of European standards.

Reasoning:

The reasoning of that declaration draws heavily on the reasoning of the the Report on minimum standards for minorities in the EU (2018/2036(INI)) of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs which clearly shows that the European Union has responsibility for minorities and for minority policy in the states of the European Union. The last development in Bulgaria and steps taken against members of NGO’s of Macedonian minority and escalation of nationalistic politic and rhetoric in Bulgaria against Macedonian nation, state, language and culture.