16 seconds of silence for the 16 years that were lost being a candidate for EU membership, was the way that deputy PM for the European Affairs in North Macedonia, Nikolla Dimitrov, decided to demonstrate, during his speech as a special guest of the fall session at the European Council’ Parliamentary Assembly.

“I haven’t forgotten my speech, but these were 16 long seconds to show the 16 years of waiting of my country, which is a candidate for membership since 2005”, – said Nikolla Dimitrov, deputy PM for the European Affairs of North Macedonia.

Dimitrov emphasized that the language and identity issue should not be an obstacle for any state that aspires to become a member of the EU. He also said that European countries should respect cultural and linguistic diversities, as stated in the Lisbon treaty.

“Who I am and what language I use is nobody’s business. This is a personal issue. In a democracy, your state can not tell you what to feel; nor can other states or organizations. Therefore, I call for responsibility and strong leadership in Europe. Europe can’t allow itself to lose our region, because its only option for a stable future is the European one,” – argued Nikolla Dimitrov.

The session of the European Council’s Parliamentary Assembly turned into a dispute between the Bulgarian lawmaker Ekaterina Zaharieva and the Macedonian deputy PM, Nikolla Dimitrov.

The Bulgarian side accuses Macedonians of calling their citizens fascists and violating the minority rights of Bulgarians. Whereas the Macedonian side accuses Bulgarians of depriving them of their language and identity.

“There are cases of pressure, intimidation, and even hate crimes against Bulgarian ethnic minorities in North Macedonia. There has also been an increase in the use of hate speech by public officials in North Macedonia against the Bulgarians. There are also too many boards and signs that equate the Bulgarian nation with fascism. What is your government doing to address these problems?”, – said Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgarian lawmaker.

“I can say, with great responsibility, that Macedonian officials have never made such speeches. It’s the opposite, we condemn them. However, you need to understand that when you deny someone the right to self-determination, there will be a riot. You are investing in an antagonistic policy, instead of into a friendly one”, – said Nikolla Dimitrov.

On November 17 of the previous year, Bulgaria vetoed North Macedonia and denied it the opening of the membership negotiations. Since then, both countries have been engaging in continuous dialogue in an attempt to address the issue.

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